Loving the Other Brother
by MegaraMegumi
Summary: Takes place after the episode "Under Control"  Damon comes to comfort Elena after Stefan leaves her room. That night changes everything.  Damon/Elena. Contains the occasional lemon.
1. In Her Moment of Weakness

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

This chapter contains lemons.

This is how I viewed things would have happened if after the Founder's Dance/Ball if Damon had gone to check on Elena after Stefan had come home.

Chapter 1

In Her Moment of Weakness

Elena Gilbert sighed as she bid Stefan adieu out her bedroom window. She sat on her bed, rubbing her temples, trying to will the stress out of her body. She was scared, hell, petrified of what was happening with her vampire boyfriend, Stefan Salvatore. The effects of letting him drink her blood were apparent, and now, she felt somewhat guilty because of it. The past few days, Stefan had been moody, brooding, and had come close to losing control more than once.

She had just stood there and told him that she trusted him, and she did, to an extent. Sure, the thought of his losing control with her stood clear in her mind as soon as she hugged him, but she felt a sense of calmness as he declared his love for her. Then again, she almost wished that he'd lose control with her. Sometimes, well, most of the time, she thought about changing so she could be with him forever.

She stood, peeling off her clothes and tossing them into the hamper before moving over to her dresser. As she rummaged through, standing only in a pair of black satin panties, three soft taps reverberated against the window pane followed by, "I chose the perfect time to swing by."

_Ugh. Damon._

She jumped, crossing her arms across her chest to cover herself before she glared over her shoulder, "What the fuck Damon? Turn around!"

He chuckled, sinister and amusing as he turned his head away, "Not like I've never seen a naked girl before. Hell, I _slept_ with Katherine, and you're like her twin sister."

Elena threw on a navy blue tank top and shorts, then drew her dark hair up into a high pony tail before she turned around. She crossed her arms over her chest again this time, a sign of anger rather than embarrassment, "What do you want Damon?"

"May I come in?" He grinned from outside, raising his eyebrows.

"You know you don't have to ask. I couldn't keep you out, even if I wanted to." It was true. Once you invited a vampire into your home, they could come and go freely.

"I know," he said, "but I would like your permission."

"Fine. Whatever," she said as she motion for him to come through the window.

He looked around her room, smiling, "Very... teenager-y of you."

Elena rolled her eyes, "What do you want, Damon?"

"I just came to check on you. Stefan looked terrible when he got home. Personally, I think he's beating himself up too much over this, but then again, that's Stefan. Always the overachiever, even in self loathing." He moved around the room, tinkering with various things as he continued. Then he stopped and turned to her, "So, Elena? How are you?"

She didn't understand why Damon was here. Damon had absolutely no redeeming qualities about him. His _concern, _she assumed, had a motive behind it. But in the moment she didn't care, he asked, and she fell apart, the tears finally breaching her eyes, and pouring out over her cheeks.

"What's happening to him, Damon? Is he going to be okay? I feel so helpless, and scared. What do I do?"

Damon took a few steps toward her, and enveloped his arms tightly around her. She continued then, to sob her heart out, while he held her tightly, rubbing her back. He didn't say anything, until her sobs had ceased, "I'm sure that Stefan will be fine. He just needs to detox and get his head on straight."

She sniffed, not lifting her head from his chest, "Do you think he'll be able to do alone?"

Damon knew he couldn't, "I doubt it."

"Then what do we do?"

He sighed. Stefan could be a royal pain in his ass, and most of the time he hated the fact that his brother was so straight laced, but then again, Stefan was a big reason he was still alive after so long. Stefan's persistent urge to remain "good" kept Damon from being staked, and as much as he hated to admit it, he admired his brother for his will power. That didn't mean Damon would ever want to be like that. No, it was way too much fun to make Stefan's life a living hell as well. Keeping him on his toes, he always thought.

He drew away from her, pulling his hand to her chin and bringing her eyes up to meet his. "I'll lock him up. Just until he's better. Short of killing him, it's the only option I can think of."

Elena didn't like the idea, but what other choice did she have? If this was the only option that would keep Stefan safe, she'd take it. She nodded in agreement with Damon as she moved to pull away from him, but he kept a firm grip on her.

"You, my lady, owe me a dance," he said, smirking in that devilish way that had most girls falling at his feet.

She wouldn't deny that Damon, like Stefan, was an attractive...man. Physically, he was fit, and had dark eyes that smoldered with an intensity unknown to most, and dark hair to match, giving him that sort of bad boy look. But personality wise, he was a conceited ass, who only looked out for himself.

Elena could only conjure up a half smile as she shook her head, "Damon, I'm tired. I'd really like to go to sleep."

"Aww c'mon. One dance?"

Something told her she wouldn't get away with saying no, so she nodded, allowing him to draw her in again. Drawing her arms around his neck, she allowed her head to rest on his shoulder, while his arms encircled back around her waist. For a few moments they just swayed there, back and forth, to the silence of the room.

Her exhaustion was getting the best of her; her eyes fighting to stay open. One of Damon's hands moved up, gripping the ponytail and pulling the tie out, allowing her hair to fall freely over her shoulders.

"Sorry. I like your hair down."

She sighed, pulling away again, "I'm sorry Damon. This is...weird. I think you should go."

"Why Elena? Don't trust me?"

She had to agree that was one reason. Another reason was she was tired. A third reason, though she hated to admit it, was that she felt vulnerable around Damon; like she could lose herself with him, just as she had with Stefan. She denied it constantly, that she felt no attraction to him, but the truth was, she did. And now, in this moment when they stood together in her room, with his arms around her, she wanted to find herself lost in him, in hopes that it might make some of this...shit go away.

"I'm just really tired, and I need some rest."

"And you don't trust me. Or trust yourself, with me." Another sly smirk formed on his face as he laughed and teased, "Elena Gilbert, I'm not even compelling you, and you are finding it difficult to resist me."

She shook her head in denial, "No. That's not true."

In one swift, quick movement he was upon her again, his chest pressed against hers, one arm tightening on her waist, the other cradling her face as his dark eyes bore into hers. His lips were only centimeters away from hers as he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, thick with desire, "You don't have to resist me, Elena. I'm tired of resisting you."

He brushed his lips across hers lightly and her body stiffened even more against him as she tried to struggle from his grasp, "Damon, please. I.. we can't."

His thumb stroked her cheek, as he continued to speak, low and convincing, "Oh, so are you admitting that you, in fact, _could_ do this? Because _we_ can." His head dipped to the other side of her neck and he began to place slow, soft kisses along her neck.

She couldn't help herself. She was fighting it with all her might, but her body was responding. Her mind screamed no while her body screamed yes, and with the contact of his lips pressed against her neck, she lost all control as her body began to betray her even further.

She pulled her arms around his neck, drawing herself closer to him as his lips laid a trail all along her neck. His hand moved, sliding downward to cup her breast, where he utilized his thumb and forefinger to squeeze her already hardened nipple.

Involuntarily, she moaned, a sound that was music to his ears. He wanted to hear more, to make her cry out as he pleasured her. He pulled his mouth from her neck, and began to slowly move her towards her bed as she stopped and pointed to her bedroom door, "Lock it," she commanded.

He chuckled as he walked to her door, locking it and then turned back to face her. She had moved to sit on the bed, watching, her eyes now pooled with the same desire and lust that was exhibited in his. He removed his t-shirt to expose his chiseled physique as he moved back over to the bed.

She reached out, her fingers grazing over his stomach, following the lines of the muscles slowly. It made her even wetter looking at him, thinking how she wanted his body pressed against hers again.

Sex with Stefan was slow and passionate, but Elena was imagining that with Damon it would be hard, rough, and wild. That thought both excited and terrified her. She looked up to his face, to see that he was smiling again, that same wicked smile, and he leaned down to catch her lips with his.

She hated to admit it, but it was a kiss to top all other kisses as he cradled her face in his hands again. It started slowly, almost careful as if he were afraid she would stop him, but she reached out to him, her fingers hooking into the belt loops of his jeans as she kept her mouth on his, but began to edge further back onto the bed, bringing him with her.

When he felt her tongue graze along his lips, requesting permission to enter he knew there was no turning back for either of them and he opened his mouth, allowing their tongues to mingle. Very quickly, the kiss went from slow and cautious to daring and lustful as the kisses continued to deepen and they fell back completely on the bed.

Elena's legs opened, allowing Damon to lay between them, the hardness of him, apparent through his jeans, pressed against her hardly clothed core. He ground his hips against hers, slowly at first, but she moaned, lifting her hips in response, harder and more desperate.

The need to have her became greater as she gave into him, and he pulled back from her, his hands reaching for her shirt and pulling it over head to expose her breasts. He groaned as he took the sight of them, perfect fucking handfuls, perky, with little hard pink nipples. He leaned down, taking one into his mouth, his tongue swirling around the tight little nub. He bit it carefully, as to not draw blood, and she gasped, her hips rising powerfully against his body again.

Elena's head swirled as she tried to keep her voice down. She couldn't believe she was doing this, but her body wanted it, and somehow, if her body wanted it, then she convinced herself it was okay, even though she knew it wasn't.

She gripped Damon's hair, pulling on it as he tugged on her nipple with his mouth, his name escaping from her lips before she could stop it.

Damon didn't stop either. He moved his mouth to her other nipple, treating that one with the same respect as he had the first one. When he was done, he released them, reaching for her her shorts, pulling them and her panties off in one swift movement.

She knew if there was a time to stop, it was now. But she lost her inner battle again as his mouth found her center, and he began to fuck it with his tongue. Her hips arched without warning, causing his tongue to slide deep inside of her. He almost wanted to laugh, because she wasn't helping her cause by humping his face.

His tongue slid up, finding her clit and dragging across it slow and hard, once again causing her to struggle against him.

She didn't know how much more she could take as his tongue continued to assault her. She was on fire from head to toe now, her body begging for a release; a release that would only be given if Damon would allow it.

As she wallowed in the pleasure, her moans only driving him to continue, a picture of Stefan filled her mind. But as soon as it appeared, it was gone as she felt Damon's fingers slip inside of her while his tongue worked her clit.

He was rough. Her climax was building faster than she ever could have thought and she felt herself about to tip over the edge.

He knew she was close, and so he continued, two fingers roughly thrusting inside of her while his tongue flicked her clit until he felt her walls contract and her juices flowed freely onto his hand. She gasped, trying to stifle her moans so that she didn't wake anyone, and she gripped Damon's hair so hard that he winced, and within a few moments she relaxed, her breathing still heavy, but her climax subsiding.

He kissed his way back up her body, until he got to her neck, and she pulled her arm around him. He nipped at her skin, sending little shock waves through her as he whispered again, "You ready for more?"

She laughed internally. She wasn't sure if she could handle more, but her body was still responding to his touch, signaling that she was ready for more, whether she wanted to or not.

Moving off of her, he stood, unbuckling and unzipping his jeans sliding them off, to expose himself.

"Going commando, I see," she observed.

"I see no point in underwear," he mused.

He was impressive, that was for sure. And though she tried not to compare him to Stefan, she couldn't help but notice that while Stefan had nothing to be worried about, Damon's cock was the larger of the two. In fact, she was a little weary.

Another moment later, he was leaning over her, using his swift vampire movements again. "I hate it when you do that," she grumbled.

"What?"

"The whole.. vampire quick movement thing."

"Wait, so Stefan hasn't used that on you?"

She shook her head. With Stefan, it was slow and steady.

"Well maybe I'll use it to rock your world," he said again as he leaned down to kiss her again. The fire built again as he touched her. He stopped, his lips only breaking for a moment as he chuckled, "Are you gonna invite me in?"

She groaned as she felt the head of him press against her tight, hot opening then slowly retreat, then slowly press into her again. He really did know how to drive a girl crazy.

She responded, breathless as the ache between her thighs intensified, almost becoming unbearable, "Fuck me."

He pressed into her again, "I'm sorry. I didn't hear you. Could you repeat that?" He trailed his lips to her earlobe, where he bit it.

She groaned, "Please Damon, fuck me."

"Louder."

"Fuck me."

"I. Said. LOUDER!"

"Fuck me Damon!" She screamed, surely loud enough to wake at least her brother.

He didn't make her wait any longer and he entered her in one hard thrust. His movements took a steady pace of hard, methodical, rough thrusts as he slammed into her and withdrew, and then slammed into her again and withdrew. He couldn't believe how amazing she felt; tight, wet, hot, and wanting. She wanted it just as bad as he did, and he was giving it to her.

She wrapped one leg tightly around his hips, pulling him close to her. She needed him close to her. She moaned, her hands drawing up into his hair again as she pulled and matched his thrusts with the same intensity.

His mouth met hers again for a moment, then he pulled back to look at her. He was shocked to find that her eyes held his. Most women he encountered didn't like to be watched during sex, but not Elena; her eyes drilled into his just like his hard cock was drilling into her.

He pulled her other leg around his waist then switched the position, rolling so that she was on top. She immediately took control, positioning herself just right. She continued the thrust, grinding into him, harder and harder. His hands gripped her waist as she fucked him and he continued to keep his eyes on hers.

The intensity of his gaze was making her so hot that she thought she might explode again at any moment, but she tried to hold off, that was until he started talking to her again.

"You like that?"

She moaned, her eyes fluttering.

"Look at me," he commanded.

She moaned again, her eyes fluttering again.

His hips thrust upward into her, "Elena. You look at me when I'm talking to you."

She was finding it difficult, and his commands were taking this to a whole new level for her. She wasn't wrong, Damon was rough, and it was making for a very hot fuck.

"Are you going to come for me?" He had now picked up a steady rhythm beneath her, and she was starting to lose hers.

"Yes Damon," she moaned, trying to keep her eyes locked with his.

"Come for me, but I want you to look at me."

She felt her orgasm rising as he commanded her, "Don't look away from me, Elena. Look at me!"

Her body shook once as her eyes threatened to look away. "I.. I can't. Too... much." She was no longer thrusting, now it was him.

"Look at me. Come for me."

She cried out again as she spilled over the edge, her eyes still fighting to close and roll into her head, but his voice commanded her and she kept them locked into his, her orgasm rocking her so hard that she dugs her nails into his chest, just to keep herself from closing her eyes.

"DAMON," she moaned loudly as she felt her body continue to ride the pleasure.

He was surprised. He had never had a girl that managed to keep their eyes on him as long as Elena had, and it caused him to lose control of his body, and he moaned, "Elena...Kiss me Elena."

She obliged, still riding her orgasm. She leaned down and pressed her mouth against his, their tongues fighting for dominance as they both succumbed to the moment, perhaps the most pleasurable for both of them.

A few minutes later they relaxed. She had collapsed onto his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her. The last thing she ever expected, was that Damon Salvatore was a cuddler.

He stroked her hair as she lay against him, thinking that by far this was the most amazing night he had ever spent with someone, even Katherine. It wasn't because she was in love with Stefan, or that he was going to kill him when he found out. No, there was something special about Elena that he now felt that Stefan was taking for granted, and he suddenly became very jealous of Stefan. He knew that she would go back to Stefan, if he ever found out about this, he would still take her back.

She broke his thoughts, "Is everything okay?" She was now feeling guilty, as the weight of what just happened came over her. But she knew he hadn't compelled her; if only she could blame it on that. No, this had been her decision, and she would have to face the consequences of her actions.

"Yeah," he said, "Every thing's fine. I guess I should probably go."

"Don't leave. Not yet. Please?"

He was surprised that she would even want him to stay. But he nodded, kissing the top of her head, "Sure, Elena. I'll stay as long as you like."

**Leave me a review if you want; would like to know what everyone thinks. Thanks :)**


	2. Damages

**Good day my lovelies! I have to say that I am pleased with the response this chapter received here on FFn. I was iffy about posting it here, due to the rating issue, but I am glad I did. Here is the second chapter. Hope you enjoy.**

Chapter 2

Damages

The next morning, Elena awoke to the sunshine bearing through her window. She groaned, thankful it was Saturday. She was also surprised to find that there was an arm draped around her waist.

At first, she thought it was Stefan, but then she remembered the events of the previous night, and looked over her shoulder to find that she was, in fact, laying next to Damon. To say that she felt ashamed hardly covered it. She had committed an act of such betrayal at such a critical time in her relationship with Stefan. If he didn't end it, the guilt alone would kill her.

Carefully, she pulled herself from his grasp, sitting up in her bed. Instantly, she felt the effects of the night before. Her head pounded, and her entire body ached. She held the sheet close to her chest, her eyes wincing from the pain. On top of that, she felt the tears welling in her eyes again, threatening to pour down her face.

"Well, don't cry on my account."

Elena's eyes shot open and turned to the voice that she hoped didn't belong to the person she knew it did. Her heart ached at the sight of Stefan, sitting in her desk chair, arms across his chest, glaring at her.

Damon awoke too, hearing his voice. Of course, he didn't seem too worried. Damon never seemed to think the crisis was as dire as it was. He sat up, "Baby brother. Glad to see you could join us."

Stefan stood, "I'd expect this from you Damon, but Elena? Please tell me that he _at least_ compelled you? Please tell me you didn't willingly sleep with him?" Stefan picked up her robe off the back of her bedroom door and threw it at her. "Cover yourself."

Elena couldn't speak as she grabbed the robe, tyeing it around her. She stood quickly and took a step towards him, "Stefan..." Her voice was weak, full of guilt.

His hand reached out, gripping her by the arm a little too tightly. All the while, Damon stayed put, leaning against the headboard, arms propped and watching the show.

"Tell me Elena. Tell me you didn't willingly do it."

"Stefan," she started, "Stefan, I..I'm sorry."

He squeezed her arm.

"Stefan, you're hurting me."

"Why, Elena? Just tell me why?" His grip didn't loosen and she saw the pained look that filled his eyes. "I thought you loved me."

The tears slipped out without her control as she tried to pull away, but his grip tightened, "I'm sorry, Stefan. I do love you."

Damon moved from her bed now. She didn't watch him but from the looks of it, he was pulling his pants on. Next thing she knew he was by them, "Let her go Stefan."

Stefan's teeth gritted, making her cringe, "Why would you do this to me? You always have to ruin everything Damon! You always have to take away the things that matter most to me!" He released her arm and turned to Damon, rushing him fast, slamming him into the wall, "She's NOT Katherine. WHY would you do this to me?"

"You're the one who took Katherine away from me!" he countered, but his voice was more amused than angry, like he had accomplished something triumphant.

She moved away, backing against her bedroom door, "Just, STOP Stefan! Just leave him alone!" She wasn't happy with herself, and by far she was angry with Damon, but she didn't want Stefan to kill him. At least not in her house. "Get out Stefan! GET OUT!"

Stefan turned, and she saw that his face was contorted, his teeth extended and his eyes dark and malicious. She winced away from him, hating to see him in that state, and then a moment later he was out the window, leaving Damon standing there alone.

It only took a moment for Damon to speak, "Well, that went well." He saw the look in Elena's eyes and curbed his joking demeanor and started to speak but she cut him off.

"How could you be so carefree Damon? You knew this would happen. You've RUINED everything like you always do!"

Next he was upon her, pressing her against the door. He pinned her arms to the wood, not allowing her to move as he pressed his lips to the base of her throat.

It took her by surprise, his quick movements. She would never stand a chance against him. And she felt the fire well up within her again but she squashed it, consumed by the anger. She growled, something that Damon was finding very erotic as he continued to trail his lips along her skin. "Get the fuck off of me Damon. I hate you."

Damon laughed, a sound that enraged her even more. "If I had a quarter... Elena, my love, you had every moment to say no; to say stop. I _did not_ compel you. I _did not_ force you to scream my name in ecstasy. You are just as much to blame. And don't tell me you didn't have fun." He pulled her hair out of her face and looked at her, surprised at the conflict he saw within her eyes. He had actually thought all night that maybe this had happened because she just needed someone in that moment, that all along the tiny little instances where he thought there might be a spark was wrong. But he saw it now. He saw the passion, the confusion, and the anger swirling around, each emotion fighting for dominance.

In that moment, the anger took hold again, and she growled, still struggling against him, "Get out of my room. NOW."

He would've continued to tempt her, but a knock on the door stopped him.

It was her Aunt Jenna, "Elena? Elena are you okay? What's going on in there?"

Damon stopped and turned to leave, but not before he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers in a quick farewell kiss that left her breathless, and even more irritated.

Elena turned quickly, opening the door to face her aunt who had the most confused look on her face.

"Is everything all right in here?"

Elena nodded, "Yeah, um. I had a bad dream, and then I fell out of bed." She formed a half smile, secretly praying that her aunt would buy it. Thankfully, she did.

"Well, you should be more careful. Look, I'm going out to buy some groceries and then I have a lunch date with a friend. Are you gonna be all right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be fine. Where's Jeremy?"

"He's asleep. Anyways, are you sure you're all right? What's that on your neck? Did you land on something?"

She reached for her neck, wincing as she touched a tender spot, "Yeah, I guess so. I'll take care of it." She smiled, "I'll be all right."

"Okay then. I'll see you a little later."

"Bye." After that, Elena shut her door, locking it again. She moved over to her bed, crawling into it again. She grabbed the extra pillow that Damon had slept on, pulling it to her chest and let her tears flow again, and this time they didn't stop until she fell back asleep.

Damon entered the library to find Stefan sitting on an ottoman, facing the fire. He had a bottle of whiskey, half empty, and was throwing photos into the blaze in front of him. Damon walked up, grabbing the bottle and taking swig before he sat in a chair adjacent to Stefan, who was paying no attention to his entrance.

"Stefan," Damon started, "I'm not going to say I'm sorry, because we both know that would be a lie. But I will say, that I should not have done that. I will say, that I was wrong." Damon meant it, to an extent. He really never thought she would actually go through with it.

Stefan scoffed tossing another photo of Elena into the fire, "Damn right you are. Did the thought not enter your mind as to what you were doing? Do you only ever think about yourself?"

"You know the answer to that question."

"Yeah, well, you're a piece of shit. And now you've ruined the only good thing I had going here. It's time to move on now since that thing is now gone."

"She loves you, Stefan."

"Yeah, that's completely obvious. Hence why in my moment of weakness, she fucks my brother. I saw it in her eyes Damon, she told _me_ to get out. Not you. ME. Even if I could fix it, it would never be the same, because I saw the conflict in her eyes when I caught you. I saw it when she hesitated when I asked her if you compelled her. It will never be the same. So let me just ask you, _big brother_, was it worth it?"

Damon would never say yes to Stefan's face, even though he undoubtedly knew the answer. He would also never tell him how he truly felt about Elena. That, just as Stefan felt the need to know her, and be near her, so did he. He, just like Stefan, loved Elena, just like they had both loved Katherine.

He chuckled.

Stefan's attention snapped to him, "What's so fucking funny?"

Damon waved his hand, "I'm sorry. I was just thinking."

"Thinking what? That it was funny that you once again ruined my life?"

"No. And let's not get to pointing fingers. You, after all, got Katherine locked away, or chased off. Whatever. But it wasn't about that." At least not entirely, he thought.

Stefan grabbed the whiskey, taking a few long gulps before he tossed the last of the pictures into the fire, then turned to Damon, "I am leaving Mystic Falls. I do not want you to follow me. You do whatever the fuck you want, but I'm gone."

"And what about Elena?"

"What about her? She made her choice. She obviously doesn't trust me and doesn't want to be with me. I will respect those wishes. You, will leave me alone. Do you understand? For once in this soulless, miserable existence, please leave me alone. Whatever chance we might have had at being brotherly again, it's gone. I'm done. I apologized for Katherine, for what I did, yet you still haven't truly forgiven me. Let me be."

Damon nodded slowly, "I understand." He understood all right. He understood that Stefan was being a coward. He understood that instead of fighting for Elena, he would just let her go, walking away from everything, just as he always did. He stood, moving away from Stefan as left the room, heading to his own to relax for the day.

However, he couldn't relax. He found himself thinking about Elena; thinking about how she looked the night before when she had been riding him, her eyes locked into his intently, lustfully. He hadn't compelled her at all. It had all been her, and he couldn't deny what he saw in her eyes, a glimpse of what could be between them. And then again, the way she looked at him this morning.

He tried to play the bad ass, tried to pretend he had no remorse for what had occurred. For the most part, he didn't but there was a little remorse, mostly for hurting Elena. With her, he felt different,

After debating for a few hours, he decided that he would go see her. He took a shower, changed clothes, and came back downstairs to find Stefan sitting in the same spot, next to a now empty bottle. He said nothing as he walked out the door, honoring Stefan's wishes.

He took his time getting over to Elena's, because he knew that she would more than likely still be pissed. He didn't blame her, but he had to talk to her. When he got there, he went to the front door. It almost surprised him how courteous he was being. He could easily pop in through her window, but he decided against it. He wasn't to do this right, so he stood at the door, and knocked.

A few seconds later the door opened, and her brother Jeremy stood there, a scowl on his face. "What do you want?"

Damon would have said he was confused as to why Jeremy was so cranky, but he wasn't. One of two things had occurred: Elena had told him, or he had heard _everything_ that had happened the night before and this morning.

"Is Elena here?" he asked.

"She is, but she doesn't want to see you."

"Please Jeremy?" Damon resisted the urge to compel him, knowing that it would bite him in the ass later if he did.

Jeremy didn't budge, "No."

"Please?" He was losing his patience.

"Why should I?"

Damon sighed, "Because I really need to talk to her? Because I'll wait out here all day if I have to, Jeremy."

Jeremy stood there for a minute, then finally moved aside, "Fine. But she's going to be pissed that you're here."

"I know," he said moving past him and heading straight up the stairs to her door. It was shut, and Damon knocked. He could hear her through the door, sniffling, no doubt she had been crying.

"What do you want?" She sounded terrible, and suddenly Damon felt a small tinge of guilt tug at him. Minuscule, but nonetheless there.

"I need to talk to you."

"Go away, Damon. I have nothing to say to you."

"Please, Elena?" He was hearing that word come out of his mouth a lot today.

"No."

He turned the knob, the door was locked. He leaned against the door frame, "Elena, you can either open the door and let me in, or I can just break it and come in. I want to do this the right way, so please. Let me in."

He listened for her, hearing her sigh, then sniff before he heard the rustling of the sheets then the movement of her footsteps toward the door. The lock clicked and then he heard her move away, back to her bed. He reached for the handle, turned it, then entered slowly, cautiously.

Elena sat on her bed, a pile of tissues next to her, she gathered them, and then moved them to her waste basket, then grabbed a clean one, and blew her nose in it. She looked pathetic, and Damon knew it was his fault.

He didn't move near her, but he did shut the door to allow for a little bit of privacy. She didn't look at him, but she did speak, her voice hurt and angry, "What do you want, Damon?"

For once, he was at loss for words. It took him a moment, but he managed to conjure the words he couldn't even bring himself to say to Stefan, "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? Ha! You've ruined everything! You aren't content until everyone else around you is miserable! This is all YOUR fault Damon! I don't need your apologies. I don't want them, so you can just get the fuck out."

She was furious. She couldn't believe he had the audacity to show up here and pretend that he felt any remorse, whatsoever, for what he had done.

"How can you just be angry with me, Elena? I _did not_ compel you last night. I think you're just as angry with yourself, but you're too righteous to see it!" He tried not to yell, or even raise his voice, but it did, just a little. "Yeah, I may have wanted it to happen. Yeah, I knew the consequences, and I knew that Stefan would be pissed, but I didn't actually think you'd give in. All my life its always been Stefan, Stefan, Stefan! What about me? Why should I have to always sacrifice? I could love you just as good as him! Maybe better!"

Elena's eyes shot to him, a glare mixed with confusion, then she scoffed, "You could love no one, Damon. All you think about is yourself."

He shook his head, "No, I have the capacity to love, but when you've always lived in the shadow of your brother who always gets the girl, it can make you a little bitter." He decided to try his luck and moved to the bed, sitting at the foot, "You can't say you didn't feel it, Elena. I know you don't want to admit it, but you felt it too. I didn't compel you, so why else would you have given in?"

She hated the fact that he was right. She hated it, and it made her want to hate him even more. Now he was sitting closer, and she could feel her blood boil beneath her skin; in anger, in frustration, and in longing. She drew her knees to her chest and pressed her back against the headboard.

He made no effort to move closer, but instead stayed seated; his voice growing tender as he spoke, "I'm not saying that you have to, and I don't deserve anything from you with the way I've been since returning to Mystic Falls, but I care about you, Elena, and if Stefan wasn't so blind, he'd see what a huge mistake he's making. I'd like you to consider it, consider us."

Elena sniffed, an eyebrow raised. Was she really hearing this? Damon, wearing his heart, well, for lack of a better word, on his sleeve? "You must want something, really bad. Why else would you play this game? It's not funny, Damon. I want you to leave."

He reached a hand out, his finger grazed over her arm, "I'm not playing a game, Elena. All I want is you. For once, I want to be the brother that gets the girl. What's so wrong with loving the 'other' brother?" His smile was sincere, and caused a small tinge in Elena's heart.

As long as she'd known Damon, she'd never seen him be so real. This scared her. She wasn't sure what to say. She loved Stefan, but it was true, she felt something for Damon as well. And she was mad; mad at herself, mad at Damon. Why couldn't things be easy? Why did she have to fuck up?

For a few minutes neither of them spoke, and she didn't meet his gaze. Then, she shook her head, "Damon, this is all too much. What about Stefan? Haven't we hurt him enough?"

He tried not to smile as he thought to himself that she was actually considering what he'd said, "It wouldn't matter. He plans on leaving tomorrow anyway."

She couldn't say she wasn't surprised, but at the same time, she was. She drew her head up to meet his eyes, and she was amazed to see that he had the most tender look in his eyes. In a way, it kind of freaked her out, because she wasn't used to seeing him like this. She was used to the tough exterior, bad ass Damon. Not to say he had never exhibited kindness, but it usually came with a price.

She drew in a breath and then let it out slow, "What about you?"

"I don't plan on going anywhere. At least not right now. Look, I know what I'm asking is a lot. I just ask that you consider it, and I know I don't even deserve that."

"I'll think about considering it. That's all I can give you now."

He nodded, "Fair enough." He stood up and headed toward the door, "I'll see you soon, Elena."

He was reaching for the handle when she spoke, "You're right you know."

"About what?"

"I did want it. More than I should have; in ways I don't understand. And I am mad at myself, probably even more mad than I am at you. I deserve to lose him," she sniffed, "I deserved it all."

He shook his head moving back to her, "No, what you deserve is someone who isn't a weakling; someone who isn't gonna run away when things get rough. I knew he would be pissed, but I figured he'd get over it. Instead, he's running, which I suppose is typical. Still, you deserve better than that. You may have made a mistake, but doesn't everyone? If anything, I should be the one leaving."

She felt herself get a little angry as she thought that his statement was very true, "Then why aren't you?"

"Ouch," he responded with a slight smirk. That was the Damon she knew. "Fair enough, I deserved that. I'll leave town if you like." He shrugged, "It's whatever."

His nonchalantness was enough to make her cringe, "Get out. I knew the 'Oh Elena I care about you' speech was a crock of shit."

He sighed, "No, I meant it. You know me, I have a hard time not making everything a joke. I'm cynical and arrogant. I'm moody, stubborn, and a complete smart ass," he paused for a minute before grinning, "But I am quite charming too."

"Yeah, see? So how could I ever trust you if you never take anything seriously?"

Damon was getting frustrated. He reached down to trail a finger along her cheek, and watched as a shiver ran through her, "Because I am serious." He ran his thumb across her lips and then removed his hand, "I'll see you soon, Elena."

She watched as he moved away from her and excused himself from her room and headed downstairs. She heard the front door shut, and not long after, Jeremy appeared in her doorway.

He didn't look happy as he said, "We need to talk."

**Chapter 3 is ready, well, I have all the way through chapter 5 written, but if you want an update, leave me some love! :)**

**Have a good day!**

**And feel free to find me on Twitter: twitter dot com / heiwahippie  
**


	3. Complicated

**'Ello Ello! Here is chapter 3. It's a little slower here, I won't lie, but bare with me! :) **

Chapter 3

Complicated

Jeremy didn't enter her room, but stood in the doorway, arms crossed tight against his chest. He waited a minute, looking at her, as if expecting her to speak.

"What?" She stood up from the bed and began to move around the room, picking it up a little. She wasn't sure what Jeremy wanted to talk about, but she figured it wasn't good.

"Were you ever going to tell me?"

She tried to pretend nothing was going on, "Tell you what?"

"The truth? About Vicki? About Damon and Stefan Salvatore? Any of it?"

"I don't know wha.." she started to defend.

"I know the truth Elena! I read your diary! It's all true! Vampires in Mystic Falls! And you! My own sister, covering for them! They killed her, Elena! And you kept it a secret!"

She was shocked, "You read my diary? Have you no respect for privacy?"

"You lied to me!"

"I was trying to protect you! It's what I'm supposed to do!" She didn't know what upset her more, that he'd read the truth, or that he knew the truth. All of her personal thoughts and secrets were in that book, and reading it, he'd crossed a line.

"Yeah, but you were also protecting them. Protecting _him_. Damon is the one who turned her in the fucking first place Elena! And now you're sleeping with the enemy! Literally!"

She felt the color rise in her face. She figured that last night might have been heard, but she had hoped she was wrong.

"Yeah, that's right. I heard it loud and clear. You're lucky Aunt Jenna's room is downstairs across the house or she may have heard it too."

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

He continued, "So why are you protecting him?"

She sighed heavily as she sat back down on her bed, the tears threatening to spill again, "Because Stefan asked me to? It was a mistake Jeremy, what Damon did."

"Then why did he do it? Why'd he turn her and then have Stefan kill her?"

"I can't speak for why he turned her, but she was out of control Jeremy. She was going to hurt you that night! She was going to hurt _you_. _My brother._ Don't you understand that?"

"He's a piece of shit, you know."

She couldn't really argue with that. Damon didn't have the world's best track record for making friends. He did what he did out of boredom, she supposed. To create that rush of adrenaline, living on the edge, as they say.

"And what about Stefan? Did you even think about that?"

"Just shut up! Please! I'm sorry I didn't tell you! I didn't know how to tell you! I wanted to protect you!"

He seemed surprised at her sudden outburst and then he sighed softly, his voice now more calm, "Sorry Elena. It just really hurts me that you couldn't be honest with me. I mean, I guess a part of me is okay with the fact that you didn't tell me. I wouldn't want to remember Vicki as someone who would want to hurt me, but at the same time, I wish you could've at least told me that all this research I was doing was actually real."

She stifled a laugh, "Yeah. Would you have believed me? How can I trust that you won't tell someone what they are? And what they did?"

"Because I won't. Despite the fact that I think Damon is a complete douche for doing what he did and Stefan too, you like them, and while I don't agree that either of them are good for you, I wouldn't want to lose you over this. I know how stubborn you can be when someone tries to get in your way."

She nodded slowly before he continued, "But I promise that if I _ever_ find out that either one of them does something like this again, I will end them, or find someone who can."

"Well," she said glumly, "I doubt you'll have to worry. Stefan is leaving town."

"And what about Damon?"

She shrugged, "I imagine he'll hang out for a bit, then go his own way too."

He nodded, "Do you trust him?"

She surprised herself when he didn't hesitate in responding, "With my life."

"I suppose you have your reasons, and I will trust you judgment. Hell, I guess I can give it to him, he's allowed in the house at any time, yet he still uses the front door. Well, at least today."

A few moments of silence passed between them before she said, "Are you done? I'd like a shower."

He laughed, "Yeah you should see yourself, you look like you went a round with a vampire." On that note he turned and walked to his room, shutting the door.

She gathered her clothes and towel and headed into the bathroom. As she started the water, she turned to look at herself in the mirror. She really did look like hell. Her eyes were puffy from crying, her hair was a tangled mess, and just as her aunt had said, there was a mark on her neck; except it looked like a hickey, not just some mark. She removed her clothes to find that the rest of her was just as bad too; including a couple of small fingertip sized bruises on her hips where Damon had held her in place.

Even though she was sore, and bruised, as the previous night's events replayed in her head she felt her skin get hot in response. She shook her head, "Stop it, Elena."

But she couldn't help it. She couldn't stop thinking about how she had felt the night before. It was like a fire had been ignited in her, in a way that was completely different than what she had with Stefan. She figured the saying was true, that women just loved assholes.

She took her shower, taking her time, washing her hair and thinking about things. Stefan was leaving tomorrow. She wondered where he would go, and then she wondered if she could stop him. Then, she wondered if she wanted to stop him. And then, her thoughts wandered back to Damon, and what he'd asked.

Was it possible, conceivable for her to think about putting her effort into a relationship with Damon? She wasn't sure he was capable of really loving someone. And she feared that he weighed too heavily on her uncanny resemblance to Katherine.

As she finished up her shower, she went back into her room. It was well into the day now, and she didn't have anything planned. She grabbed her phone, realizing she had a couple of messages. Flipping open her phone she noticed the first two were from this morning, from Stefan.

Stefan: Hey, you up?

And then the second one.

Stefan: I'm on my way over.

She sighed, her heart sinking slightly. Then the next two were from Damon, after he had left the second time today.

Damon: I really am sorry.

And,

Damon: PS. You look really beautiful in the morning. ;)

She involuntarily smiled at the second message as she closed her phone, not bothering to respond. Sweet words weren't going to get him his way. She didn't really know what would. Time maybe. Maybe not.

She went downstairs to find her aunt standing the kitchen, putting away the last of the groceries.

"Are you just now getting up?" She asked as she shut the fridge.

Elena nodded, "Uh yeah. I didn't sleep well last night."

"Is everything okay?"

She wanted to lie and say yes, but she couldn't. She pulled up a chair at the table. Jenna moved towards her and sat down next to her, "What's wrong Elena?"

Elena told her everything, well, everything except the part about Stefan and Damon being vampires. Instead she explained that Stefan had been growing distant and having issues controlling himself and that she'd ended up sleeping with Damon, thus ending the relationship.

Jenna didn't talk, just listened as Elena told her everything. Finally, when she was done, Jenna spoke, "We all make mistakes Elena. It's what you learn from them that's important. Your actions speak louder than words. I've seen the way you and Damon have looked at each other, whether you have realized it or not."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Did Jenna really see that? Had she been so blind all along? "I.. I don't know Jenna. I mean, until last night I wouldn't really say that the idea had crossed my mind. I guess he has his moments, but I always saw Stefan."

She nodded, "Well, I'm not going to tell you what to do. You'll find your way; you always do. Oh, I got a call today from the Miss Mystic Falls committee. Are you still running?"

Elena had completely forgotten about Miss Mystic Falls. The prior school year she had signed up, something she and her mother had both been excited about. Now, it hardly seemed right to participate when her mother was gone. "I.. don't know..."

Jenna smiled encouragingly, "You really should think about it. You'll have to go in tomorrow to do your interview, but your mother would want you to. But if you don't want to, I think people will understand."

"I'll think about it," she promised. Elena made herself a sandwich and ate in silence while Jenna moved around the kitchen.

She wasn't really interested in Miss Mystic Falls. At this point, she would have a week to find a dress and an escort, both of which she really didn't feel like doing. She would've asked Stefan, but now that wasn't going to happen. It briefly crossed her mind to ask Damon, but she quickly dismissed that as well. He'd never agree to anything like that.

When Damon made it home, Stefan was still in the den with another bottle of whiskey, except he'd moved to a chair, leaning back as he stared into the remains of the fire. Damon didn't say anything as he walked past the doorway, but stopped when Stefan called out to him.

He took a few steps back and peeked into the den but didn't say anything, waiting for Stefan to respond.

"How is she?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?"

Stefan's response time was lightning fast as he left his chair, hurled his whiskey glass at the wall, shattering into millions of shards, and had Damon slammed into another wall. Damon thought that with a healthy diet of human blood, Stefan could possibly be stronger than him. He spoke, his teeth clenched tightly together, "You know what I'm talking about. I know you went to see her. It's something you would do."

Damon smirked, "She's fine. Well, she's hurt, and upset, but she's gonna survive." He didn't have to be a dick to Stefan, but he was tired of this 'oh pitiful me' act that Stefan was putting on.

He released Damon and stepped back shaking his head, then he threw a punch into the wall, cratering it right through the sheet rock.

"Hey. If you want her so bad, go and get her." Damon was getting tired of this game. Stefan either needed to man up or step aside.

"Why? So now that every time I kiss her, she thinks of you? Or every time we have sex, she compares us? You must really think me a fool."

"And how do you know she wasn't thinking about you when she was kissing me?"

Stefan had to agree he had a point, but he was too drunk from the whiskey and lack of blood. He needed to feed.

Damon clenched his teeth together. He was fighting with himself. He wanted to be selfish and push him out so that he could try a chance with Elena, but at the same time he wanted to not be such a dick. All those years ago, when he swore to make Stefan's life a living hell, he'd meant it, but now he found himself growing tired and wanting something more normal. He'd come to really like Mystic Falls, and he found himself wanting to protect it.

Stefan shook his head again, "I don't know. I think I'll take some time away. Really let my head clear."

Damon shrugged, "Whatever brother. Don't expect her to wait around for you."

"I know." With that, Stefan ascended the stairs and headed to his room. Once he was settled he continued to fight with himself for hours about his decision; to stay or go. He knew Elena deserved better, and he knew that he didn't deserve to even be alive anymore. He and Damon should have never survived that night in Mystic Falls; but they had.

The hunger in his gut was driving him insane. He wanted to feed and he wanted to do it on a human, not from the bags of blood stashed away in the basement. However, he made his way back down to the basement, where he pulled a bag for himself and then went to his room where he drank it in silence and secrecy.

Stefan had been so consumed with himself, that he had not even realized that Damon had been standing in the shadows of the basement, watching him remove the bags of blood from the freezer. He already knew the bags were there, because he had stolen a look earlier, but watching Stefan remove the bag and take it with him to his room infuriated him.

_He's lost it,_ Damon thought to himself. Damon also knew this behavior would blow both of their covers, and possibly get them both killed.

After Stefan left he made his way back into the den, then turned and headed toward the kitchen when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He removed it to see that the Sheriff was calling. That was never a good sign.

"Well hello Sheriff. To what do I owe this pleasure?" He asked, putting on his most charming voice.

"We've got more vampire problems," she said into the phone. "There was a major blood bank heist last night."

Damon rolled his eyes. _Stupid Stefan._ "What are we going to do?"

He heard her sigh, "Keep your eyes peeled for strange behavior?"

"Will do, Sheriff."

"Thanks Damon. You know, you really have been a godsend for this town. We're very grateful."

He smirked to himself, thinking if they only knew how much of a godsend he wasn't. "Just doing my part. I'll let you know if I see anything."

"Thanks again."

The phone clicked and Damon hung up. This really was a huge mess, and somehow he had to figure out a way to fix it so that he could hang around in Mystic Falls without arousing suspicion.

Leave me some love :)


	4. Bad Romance

**Okay, so after this I have one more chapter written, so I'll wait a couple of weeks to post it. I've been super busy with school so I haven't really had time to finish up with Chapter 6.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, though I would love for Damon to own me ;) **

**This chapter, was a tad bit slower. It's roughly based off Lady Gaga's song "Bad Romance" as you will see, since I quoted the lyrics somewhere in there. I will post chapter 5 in a week or two, maybe a little longer. It's worth the wait, I promise!  
**

Chapter 4

Bad Romance

By Monday, Elena had decided that she would not participate in Miss Mystic Falls. Without an escort or dress, she just didn't see the point. Of course, Caroline had her two cents to put in.

"In a way, I'm sad you aren't running, but you totally would've had the sympathy vote, and I never would've stood a chance.

It really irritated Elena how inconsiderate Caroline could be sometimes. As if Elena hadn't gone through enough over the past year. "Well I suppose you'll be a shoe-in then Caroline."

Then she got even more annoying, "So what did happen to Stefan anyways?"

Elena fought the urge to slap her. "It's a long story."

She huffed dramatically, "You never tell me anything."

"Well, I don't want to talk about it. Look, I'm gonna go home. I'm not feeling well. I'll talk to you later. And even though I'm not running I will probably be there, but if I'm not, good luck." Elena turned to walk away but was stopped as she plowed right into someone.

She looked up to see Damon, a smirk on his face. Her heart sped up as his blue eyes pierced into hers. A million different emotions surged through her. She wanted to slap him and then she wanted to crash her lips into his. It was so wrong, but so right. She found herself thinking of the Lady Gaga song, Bad Romance. Everything about him was so wrong for her, but she couldn't stop thinking about how much she wanted him. Just then, she realized she was staring.

His eyebrows rose inquisitively, as he searched for why she was looking at him like that. He then heard her heart pounding in her chest and he knew that she was _nervous._ He would've pressed things further, make her more nervous, but he looked over her shoulder to see Caroline gawking at them. He took a step back, "Sorry Elena. Didn't mean to startle you."

Elena cleared her throat, trying to pull herself together, "It's okay. What's up?"

He glanced at Caroline who was still eying them nosily. Clearing his throat, he spoke, "So, I was wondering if you were up maybe going to the pageant this weekend?"

Elena cocked her head in confusion. _He wants to take me to the pageant? As a date?_ She thought.

When she didn't speak he continued, "I just figured, since you weren't participating in the pageant that maybe you'd still like to go?" Part of him hated the fact he couldn't compel her. It made this whole chase that much harder. The other part of him was glad that she _could_ resist him if she wanted to, because he wanted Elena to like him. He wanted Elena to want to be with him, not because he made her.

"I..." she blushed. _Dammit he's making it hard for me to resist him._ "I..." _Spit it out, dummy!_ "Sure, Damon."

He smiled, "Great. It'll be fun, I promise." He then turned and walked away without saying anything else, leaving Elena at the mercy of Caroline's questions.

"I see now," she started. Her tone held a small bit of disdain. She and Damon had briefly dated. Well, Damon had compelled her.

"Caroline, I _do not_ want to talk about it. I'm going home." With that, she walked away from Caroline, leaving her standing there, still gawking.

It had been a nice day so Elena had walked to school. As soon as she had cleared the corner, Damon stepped out onto the sidewalk in front of her.

"Hey again," he said as he moved aside to let her pass, then fell in place next to her.

"You're making this really hard for me," she said.

"Making what hard for you?" He nudged her playfully.

"You know what," she countered, looking ahead. She was fighting the urge to look at him again. This had all gotten so fucked up, and even though she tried to avoid it she knew that unless Damon left town too, she wasn't going to be able to resist him. The thoughts of the night they shared over the weekend still followed her around, in her dreams and out of them.

"I'm sorry. Okay, no I'm not, but you could easily say no to me."

Elena stopped and turned to face him, now feeling angry as she looked into his eyes, "Say no? I can't say no! You're not even compelling me, and I _can't_ say no! It's like it's not in me to say no to you! And I don't understand WHY."

"If it's any consolation, I wonder why you can't say no to me either." He stopped then, and put a hand to her a shoulder. His expression got real serious and soft, "Somewhere along the way Elena you decided that I was worth fighting for. You and my brother are the only two who have never given up on me. And even now, when he's given up, you still haven't. And that means more to me than you'll ever know. So for whatever reason it is that you can't say no, I'm grateful because it gives me a chance at something I always wanted but never got."

Elena tried not to gawk but she couldn't help it, "What happened to you Damon? When did you turn into such a fucking softy?"

He laughed slightly, "I guess you have that effect on people. I don't know, when we first got here I had no desire to do anything except tear this town apart. Now, I want to protect it; protect you. And yes, I am sorry for the events of the last few days, but well, maybe things do happen for a reason."

She nodded, amazed at what she was hearing. Damon, acting like he had a heart, had feelings, had... a soul. She stared at him, trying to make sense of it all, but coming up short.

"Come on," he said turning to walk, "I'll walk you home."

They headed down the sidewalk slowly, neither of them speaking for a while. It was only a little past lunch, and although Elena shouldn't have skipped school, she really felt she needed a day to herself. Then again, she hadn't anticipated Damon showing up. A few minutes later, he spoke.

"We don't have to go to the pageant. We could do something else if you want?"

She shrugged, "I was planning on going anyways. I just wasn't planning on participating. We can go, and I'm sure with you around it'll keep things interesting." Their hands brushed against each other, creating a jolt between them. The next time they brushed against each other, Elena took a deep breath and extended her hand around his, locking their fingers together.

He smiled to himself as they walked the rest of way hand in hand. In that moment, Damon felt the changes in him. For the first time in a long time he felt a lightness in himself, a need to be better than he ever had before. Now, it was his turn.

As they moved up to Elena's front door, he stopped, pulling her to his chest tightly. Without giving her a chance to speak he moved his mouth over hers. A fire lit within her as he wrapped his arms tightly around her sliding his hands down over her ass and gripping it tightly. She moaned into his mouth as he pressed her against the front door.

She reached up, putting her hands into his hair, gripping his dark tresses tightly in her fists. It didn't hurt, but her unbridled intensity aroused him, making his immortal blood rush in his veins. He slid his hands from her ass to the backs of her thighs, and lifted her with ease, wrapping her legs around his waist, pressing her back against the door.

After a few minutes of kissing and heavy petting, he pulled away from her and set her down. She steadied herself, a little shook up from it all. She looked up to see him smiling, and a look in his eyes she had never seen before; tenderness, hidden amongst the primal and devilish gaze he normally exhibited.

Elena tucked hair behind her ear, clearing her throat, "So, umm, want to come in?"

He smirked, "Not that I need inviting, but I appreciate it. Sure, I'll come in for a few."

She unlocked the door and walked inside, Damon following close behind her. She set her bag down at the foot of the stairs, then headed into the kitchen. She went straight for the fridge, opening it, while Damon leaned against the counter by the sink.

She dug out leftovers from the night before, tossing them in the microwave to reheat before she turned back to face him, "Sorry. I'm starving."

With a slight nod he said, "It's okay. Can't have you wasting away on me."

When the microwave beeped, she pulled the food out, opened the container and began to eat it with a fork. All the while, he watched her, that same smirk fixated on his lips. Suddenly she felt self-conscious with him watching her, and she turned away from him. She took a couple more bites before she closed the container, returned it to the fridge, and threw her fork into the sink.

She heard the woosh as Damon closed the space between them, his chest pressed into her back, his arms circling her waist. He moved one hand, brushing her hair to the side to expose her neck. Slowly, he trailed his lips over her neck, causing a shiver to reverberate up her spine. The blood rushed through her veins and caused two reactions from him; one being instant arousal and two, the sudden urge to want to bite her. He wanted nothing more than to taste her, to feel her blood surge through him.

A soft whimper escaped her lips as his mouth brushed against her skin. Her head started spin. She cursed herself for being so weak in his presence. She wanted to blame him, but she could only blame herself. She gripped the counter that was in front of her as one of his large hands slid across her waist. Just as she was about to let herself go again, Damon stopped, stepping away.

She turned quickly and blinked at him incredulously. Was this a game to him?

Damon saw the look in her eyes and rebutted, "Someone's coming." He leaned down quickly and kissed her check right before the front door clicked. A moment later Aunt Jenna appeared in the doorway to the kitchen.

At first she said nothing, but just stood there and stared in disbelief. Then, she turned to Damon, eyeballing him before she spoke, "Damon, you need to leave."

He nodded earnestly and headed toward the door, but not before reaching over and giving Elena's hand a slight squeeze.

As the front door closed, Jenna turned to her, "Elena, what are you doing? It's one thing for you see Damon, I can handle that. What I can't handle is you skipping school to be with him."

Elena defended herself, explaining to Aunt Jenna how she hadn't planned on Damon being here; that she had just come home because everything was so overwhelming.

She half expected Jenna to not believe her but surprisingly, Jenna listened and then thought on what Elena had said before responding, "I believe you, Elena. Just, promise me you won't skip school anymore; at least without letting me know first. I had enough trouble with Jeremy, I don't need it from you too."

Elena nodded, "I promise. I really just needed the afternoon off. I didn't think Damon would be here. I swear."

Jenna nodded again, reinforcing that Elena must return to school the next day, and that if she really felt the need to leave early or skip, she should let her know.

Elena agreed and then excused herself to her room, where she half expected to find Damon. Amazingly, her room was empty, but there was a letter on her nightstand, scribbled in his handwriting, which she found to be elegant, with its scripty loops. Damon had excellent penmanship, and as she read the words, her heart tugged in her chest.

Elena,

I know things have changed faster than we could have ever anticipated. I'm not perfect; that job is reserved for Stefan. I only say this because you deserve to know what you're getting into. You make me want to be a better person. You light up my damned soul in a way that no one ever has.

Yours eternally,

Damon

Whatever doubts Elena had been fighting with had suddenly evaporated. Sure, this whole ordeal may have been avoided had she and Damon not done what they had. Everything was different now. Stefan could have stepped up and they could have tried to work this out. Instead, he'd run off like a coward instead of manning up and fixing it. In that moment, she'd made her choice. Denying what she felt was not an option. Sure, she could try, but in the end she knew she would fail. She wanted Damon, possibly more than she wanted Stefan and she wanted him bad. She wanted him to the very core of her, because Damon Salvatore had invaded her every being and she was ready to write a bad romance.

**Review if you want! I like to hear your thoughts. Thanks!**


	5. The Founder's Pageant

**A/N: 'Ello ello! Well, the great news is I'm all caught up on school till January, which gives me more time to write (Well, in theory). I'm gonna do my best to get more updates in. Chapter 6 is written, just needs to be proofread a couple of times through (I'm without a BETA, so I do it myself) and it will be posted.**

**I had an awesome time writing this chapter, it flowed so well for me. I hope you like it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Vampire Diaries related-it all belongs to L.J. Smith as well as the creative ideas of the writers behind the series.  
**

Chapter 5

Founder's Pageant

Elena woke up the morning of the Founder's Pageant with the sun shining through her window. This was the first day since Monday that it hadn't rained. She smiled as she stretched in her bed, pondering on what this Saturday held. She was going to spend the day on a date at the pageant with Damon. She hadn't seen Damon since Monday though he had called to say that he had some loose ends to tie off in regards to Stefan leaving town. Her heart still ached at the thought of Stefan being gone, but it was over now, and she was doing her best to accept that.

It was still difficult though. Damon was completely different than Stefan, and she knew that some of the habits that irked her the most about him would take some getting used to. She wasn't ignorant; she knew he wouldn't change for her, but she would have to set some boundaries.

Next to her on the nightstand, her phone beeped. She rolled over, picking up the phone and looking at it. She turned on the screen, seeing a text message from Damon.

Damon: Morning. Ready for today?

She smiled as she responded: Morning to you too. Yes, I'm ready. What time do you want to leave?

A few minutes later another beep: I'll pick you up around noon.

Elena looked at the time on her phone; it was 9:53 am. She sat up and stretched more, willing herself from beneath the covers. The Founder's Pageant had a formal dress code, so getting ready would take a little time. She crawled out of bed and headed to the bathroom to shower.

Damon stood in his bedroom and dug the tuxedo out of his closet. Having lived so many years, it seemed that he had accumulated formal attire throughout the decades. He chuckled as he thought how awkward it might be if he wore the same outfit he had worn to the first Founder's Ball all those years ago.

He had not seen Stefan since Monday morning, before he had seen Elena. A few things were gone from his room, so he assumed that Stefan had indeed left town. Damon spent the rest of the week cleaning up the mess that his brother had left behind. Now that John Gilbert was in town, things were even worse. John knew what he and Damon were and had threatened to expose them both if things were suspicious around them.

Damon didn't like or trust John. He had the same ring that Alaric's wife had given him, the ring that would not let John die as long as he wore it. Of course, Damon hadn't realized that at the time when he'd thrown John off the balcony to his not so final death.

Katherine had to be the one who gave John the ring; it was the only explanation. It infuriated him to know that she had been alive and well all these years. The selfish bitch had led both he and Stefan to believe she was stuck in that tomb. He'd wasted all the time wanting to free her, when along she was alive and well.

He looked at his reflection, seeing the man he had become. He might not age physically, but the years had worn him down inside. He'd spent so much time raging and hating the world and blaming Stefan for Katherine that it had turned him bitter and resentful. Now, all he could think about was how bitter and resentful he was toward Katherine.

He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking about Elena; beautiful, stunning Elena, who looked so much like Katherine it was uncanny. However, she was not Katherine. She was far from being anything like Katherine. Elena was too good for him, and he knew it. He also knew that she might tolerate him now, but it would never last, not unless he could change.

He wondered if he could, but he wasn't sure. He wanted to be what Elena wanted him to be, but it had been so long since he had been anything but a complete ass hat. He made the promise to himself and silently to her that he would try his best, because he knew it was the only way she wouldn't go running in the other direction.

He couldn't promise that he would change in a day. If anything it would take months, maybe years to undo some of the habits that he had become so accustomed to. However, his habits did not define him, at least he didn't want to believe that they did.

As he put the final touches on his outfit, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He picked it up to see a text from Elena.

Elena: I'll be ready in 10 minutes.

He responded: I'll be there. ;)

He closed the phone, once again checking his reflection. He heaved a sigh as he headed towards the door. He wanted to so much to change, he could only hope that his feelings for Elena would be enough to let go of the anger he was holding onto.

Elena was putting on her lip gloss, a color called Cherry Pink, when the doorbell rang downstairs. She took one last look at herself in the mirror. She had to say that she looked stunning. For a moment she thought that maybe she should have entered the pageant to give Caroline a run for her money. Her dress was a black v-neck evening gown that hung tightly to her curves and cascaded to the floor. She had her hair curled and pulled back in an elegant style, a few tendrils falling around her temples.

She shut off the light and stepped out of the bathroom. Suddenly she felt very nervous. As she edged toward the top of the staircase she could hear Damon talking with Jeremy. The sound of her shoes on the hardwood floor made them both stop and as she reached the top of the stairs they both were looking up at her.

She smiled softly as she took one step down the stairs. Damon returned the smile; so subtle that it made her stomach turn in knots and her skin rush with heat. She came down one step at a time, slowly, as to be sure not to fall. Damon moved to meet her at the foot of the staircase, his eyes watching her every movement.

She shied her eyes away, a blush coming to her cheeks. Damon on the other hand could not look away. His immortal breath had been knocked out of him like he'd taken a hit from a linebacker. She reached the bottom step, her eyes drawing up to meet his finally. He wanted to press his lips against hers right there, but he knew he shouldn't, at least not with her brother standing right there.

Instead he extended his hand to her. When she grasped his hand, he brought it to his lips and planted a soft kiss upon the top of it, bowing as he did so. Coming back to a standing position he whispered, "You look exquisite."

She couldn't help but blush. Elena had never really considered herself to be much more than pretty. Exquisite was a word she would never get used to.

Jeremy cleared his throat behind them, reminding them that he was in the room. Elena tore her gaze from Damon's to acknowledge her brother's attire.

"You look good Jer," she said. "Do you have a ride?"

He nodded, "I'm riding with Aunt Jenna."

Elena nodded as she moved from the last step at the bottom of the staircase, her hand moving comfortably into Damon's, it never once leaving his once he had taken it to kiss it. She could tell that Jeremy was having a difficult time with this, even though it was apparent that he was trying not to. She appreciated the fact that he was trying to get along with Damon, but she also knew that he would be on edge, watching for any moment that he might screw up. Anything that would give him reason to sic the town on him with their pitchforks and torches.

Damon escorted Elena from the house to the car. When she opened the door she found a single red rose. She picked it up, bringing it to her nose to smell as she turned to face Damon.

Pulling the rose away from her nose she smiled, "Thank you."

He nodded a small nod, "You're very welcome."

She wanted to kiss him in that moment, but refrained as she crawled into the passenger side of the car. She buckled her seatbelt and smelled the rose again. So far, everything was so strange. Damon seemed, well, different. He wasn't being his usual gloating self, but then again, the day was still young.

As he climbed into the driver's side, started the car, pulled out of the driveway, and headed towards the pageant, he moved his hand over to slide back into hers. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," she said, her voice escaping her quietly. She cleared her throat, "You look really good too."

His smile cracked a little more, "Yeah, it's a curse; these good looks."

She couldn't help but laugh a little. That's the Damon she knew; even if his attitude was toned down just a bit, it was still there, conceited and sarcastic. She relaxed a little.

The drive was short and soon they found themselves driving up to the parking lot. The town really went all out during the Founder's celebrations. They drove up to the valet. As Damon put the car in park, he squeezed Elena's hand, "I'll get the door for you."

She was surprised at the sudden feeling of emptiness that tugged at her when he let go of her hand. She shook it off as coincidence, after all; it had been a long week.

He made his way around the car and opened the door for her. He took her hand as she stepped out of the car. He shut the door and then angled his arm so that she could slip her arm through the crook of his elbow. The valet drove the car off to park it and they walked toward the front door of the conference hall where the pageant was being held.

Elena took a deep breath as they walked into the conference hall, anticipating exactly what awaited them. As they entered the whole room grew silent and every one looked at them. It was a small town, everyone knew she had been dating Stefan. Now, every saw that she was at this event with Damon.

The staring only lasted a moment before people picked up in their conversations, but it was still too long. Elena felt her cheeks flush.

Damon unhooked their arms, but only so he could encircle her waist, drawing her close enough to whisper in her ear, the feel of his lips on her earlobe creating a tingling sensation to shoot through her, "Fuck them," he whispered. "They're just jealous you're not on their arms."

It was hard not to smile at the thought, even though she knew that was not the reason they were staring.

"I need a drink," he said, his lips not as tantalizingly close to her skin, but his voice was as smooth as always, like silk. Even when he was saying the most inappropriate, asshole-ish things, his voice was like perfection, which could only make things more infuriating if she were trying to be angry with him.

"Me too," she whispered as they headed for the bar.

Elena wasn't old enough to drink, but it seemed that she could usually get away with it. It probably had everything to do with the fact that she had never once been stupidly drunk. One glass of wine was all she would allow herself because she knew better.

They reached the bar, and Damon picked up two glasses of champagne, handing her one. She took a sip and then they headed toward the back of the hall. Ahead there were a set of French doors open wide leading to the courtyard. They walked together, Elena's arm tucked securely again through Damon's as they made their way to the seating that was around the dance floor.

Elena saw Bonnie, who had been avoiding her since her and her late Grams had helped spring the bloodthirsty vampires from the tomb where Damon had thought Katherine was trapped. Katherine. In her ignorant bliss she had forgotten about Katherine. Katherine was probably alive, well, walking around as alive as a vampire could be, and well. This worried Elena suddenly, but she attempted to quell the rising fear in her stomach. She kept chanting her to herself, "Trust him, Elena. Trust him."

Bonnie gave a half smile from across the way, but she did not wave or invite her over and she knew that she wouldn't either. Elena decided that later she would have to speak to Bonnie and clear the air.

With her hand still in Damon's they walked toward the back row, getting ready to sit when John came walking up to them.

Elena couldn't help but notice the way he eyed Damon, as if he _knew_ what Damon was.

Damon gave a curt nod to John as he approached, "Afternoon."

John nodded too, "Damon."

Damon tried to appear at ease with John, but the truth was; he was far from being at ease. John knew his secret and while Damon wanted to believe that John was really only after the tomb vampires, something told him that this was far from true. Hell, Damon was still trying to understand why John really was here. It just seemed, _coincidental_, that they busted open the tomb, let out the pissed off vampires, and suddenly John was here, crusading to put them all back in their graves.

He wondered if _she_ was behind it all. It seemed plausible. He really understood now who she was. She was cold hearted, much like he had been when he thought he had lost her forever.

John looked to Elena, "Afternoon. You look lovely."

She smiled, "Thanks Uncle John."

Just then, the music started playing, Canon in D, a sign for everyone to take their seats. A few minutes later the nominees and their escorts were called, and one by one they walked down the stairs, through the French doors, and out onto the dance floor. As the last name and escort made their way onto the floor the music began to play.

Damon was not familiar with the song, but he knew that dance all too well. It had been the same dance that had been traditional back in his day before he had been turned. He listened to the lyrics as he watched flirtations on the dance floor.

"_Can you still see,_

_The heart of me?_

_All my agony fades away, _

_When you hold me in your embrace._

_Don't tear me down, _

_For all I need_

_Make my heart a better place_

_Give me something I can believe._

_Don't tear me down, _

_What's left of me_

_Make my heart a better place,_

_Make my heart a better place."_

Elena had moved her head to his shoulder, and if he could have cried, he might actually have shed a tear in that moment. The song so perfectly described how he felt. It was kind of sickening to him how sappy he was feeling. He squeezed Elena's hand gently, and she squeezed back, a gesture that made him smile. He leaned his head against hers, and pressed his lips into her hair.

After the dance all the nominees lined up and the Mayor got up to speak. He talked about how proud he was to live in Mystic Falls, and how it was his honor to announce this years Miss Mystic Falls. He once again announced the nominees and then was handed an envelope from one of the staff.

"And this years Miss Mystic Falls is..." he said as he opened the envelope. "Miss Caroline Forbes."

There was an eruption of cheering and laughter as Caroline gasped in surprise, throwing one hand to her mouth in exasperation as she moved toward the Mayor to accept her flowers, crown, and sash.

Damon leaned over to Elena, whispering in her ear, "You should've run against her. You would've won."

Elena smiled, her eyes still looking forward. She was glad she hadn't participated, but she couldn't help but laugh as she thought about how pissed Caroline would have been if she had run against her and won.

After Caroline had been crowned, Damon and Elena stood. People around them began to mingle, and Elena decided that she would go congratulate Caroline.

"I'm going to go congratulate her," Elena said to Damon.

"Yeah? I'm gonna go talk to the Sheriff. I'll catch up with you." He kissed her forehead before releasing her and walking away.

Elena then headed over to where Caroline was standing, receiving all the attention. As she approached, she noticed Bonnie was also standing there, talking and laughing with Caroline. Bonnie saw Elena and her expression changed, but she did not walk away.

Caroline's attention turned to Elena and she smiled that way she always did, fake and annoying. "Elena!"

Elena smiled, "Congratulations Caroline."

She smiled, "Thanks! I'm totally excited!" Then she nudged Elena, "Damon huh?"

Elena tried not to roll her eyes at Caroline as she nodded, "Yes, Damon."

Shrugging nonchalantly she continued, "He's an ass, you know. You saw how he treated me."

Elena said nothing, she didn't have to defend herself to Caroline, or anyone for that matter. She looked over to Bonnie who was just standing there. "Can we talk?"

Bonnie gave a curt nod to Elena. They moved away from Caroline and found a place that was a little more secluded.

"What's going on Bonnie?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been acting weird ever since you got back."

"It's just a lot of stress is all."

"It's more than that Bonnie."

She sighed, "I'm sorry Elena. I.. I just can't do this."

"Do what?"

"Pretend like everything is okay. If I hadn't agreed to do that stupid spell, Grams would still be here. I just can't do it anymore. I don't want to make you choose, but I can't be around either of the Salvatore's anymore."

Elena couldn't believe what she was hearing. Yes, it was true that the spell had gone wrong, but how could Bonnie make her choose? In theory she should choose Bonnie over Damon, but she couldn't. She just couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Fine," Elena said. "I understand." That's all she could muster as she turned to walk away, only to find Damon right behind her.

He instantly detected her displeasure, "What's wrong?"

She shook her head as Bonnie turned to walk away, not even giving Damon a glance. "It's her loss," she said as she placed her hands on his chest. Damon knew she was upset and trying hide it, but he didn't press the issue. Obviously she was making a choice, and she was choosing him.

"Wanna get out of here?" He asked, his finger reaching to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah."

They headed back from the courtyard into the hall and then headed towards the valet parking. They were nearing the front door when Elena saw him; Stefan, and he wasn't alone.

He had a girl attached to his arm, young, blond, and pretty by all standards. What caught her off guard the most was the black scarf she had tied around her neck; a tell-tale sign that Stefan was feeding on human blood. Elena stopped dead in her tracks. Damon didn't have to ask, because he'd seen Stefan and his date as well.

"I thought you said he'd left."

"He did leave."

Seeing Stefan threw her for a loop that she hadn't been anticipating. The guilt rushed through her like a dam had broken and she stumbled backwards. It was her fault he was feeding on the human blood. If she and Damon hadn't, she thought to herself, then he would be okay. "I... I can't." She mumbled before she removed her hand from Damon's and took off running in the other direction.

Damon was stunned. Stefan was pulling shit that by all standards would be typical behavior of Damon himself. He glared at his younger brother as he turned from them and followed after Elena who had taken off towards the courtyard where they had just come from.

As he breached the French doors he looked out past the dance floor and past the rows of chairs to see her running up the grassy hill behind the venue. He took off after her.

"Elena! Elena wait!" He hadn't actually run in a really long time. Vampire speed was so much cooler; but there were too many people watching.

She didn't slow down, but it didn't matter, his strength allowed him to gain the distance on her as she began to slow. She'd reached an area of tree cover and stopped, leaning against one of the much older trees.

He could hear her sobs as he reached her, "Elena,"

"Go away Damon."

"No," he said.

"It's all my fault. He's here because of what I did. If we hadn't; if I hadn't, he'd be off human blood and we would be happy."

Damon wanted to laugh so badly, but he refrained. He faced her now, her back against the tree. He wanted to touch her; to pull her into his arms, but he felt that right at that moment the idea was probably not a good one. Instead he tried to soothe her with the truth of the matter. "I thought he was gone Elena. I really did. This isn't your fault or even our fault. This doesn't correlate with what we did."

"How could you say that? He was doing fine until...until," she couldn't finish her sentence. She was torn up over this.

"He wasn't Elena. Stefan was still fighting the urge. The 'loose ends' I was tying up this week? Remember that? A blood bank had been robbed the night we were together. That was Stefan."

Was he lying? She wasn't sure. She knew Damon would make up some half cocked story if he thought it would get him what he wanted.

"Really," he said. "I found the bags of blood in the freezer the next night. Sheriff Forbes called me and I watched him go downstairs and get a bag out. I swear, Elena. I know this has to be painful for you. I know you will probably grieve over Stefan for a while, but I'm not going anywhere."

She wasn't sure what to believe, but she drew her gaze to meet his, and she felt he was being sincere. She was about to say something when a familiar voice came into the conversation.

"Am I interrupting a lover's quarrel? Already?" Stefan meandered toward them, his blood donor attached to his arm.

Elena actually cringed at his presence. The Stefan she had loved only a week ago was gone, replaced by something completely different.

"Why are you here?" Damon asked, turning his back to Elena in an attempt to shield her.

Stefan shrugged, "Just coming to say my goodbyes is all."

"We didn't need them."

Stefan laughed and the sound of it caught Damon by surprise. Who was this person? Damon was not sure. Stefan had seriously become warped. "Goodbye then," Damon said.

"Not you," he growled as he turned his gaze to Elena, "Her."

Elena's heart was pounding. Gone was the guy who was tender and romantic; now replaced by cold heartedness. She took a deep breath and stepped around Damon, trying to keep her head held high, as if to say,_ Fuck you, Stefan_.

Stefan smiled, but it was harsh, "Ahh, my dear Elena. I just wanted to see you." His eyes drifted to Damon and his expression became more menacing, "This isn't over between us. You _will _both be seeing me again."

Elena was chilled by his demeanor. Stefan was making even Damon's worst day look like a fucking picnic in the park.

Damon moved, putting himself between Stefan and Elena. He could tell that she was putting up a front, but she was scared. He didn't blame her, he too was somewhat blown away by the nastiness his brother was exhibiting.

Stefan glared at Damon, who glared right back before he took a step back with the blond girl still attached to his arm a small growl coming from him, "Soon, _brother_."

Both Damon and Elena watched Stefan leave the party with his snack. It took all Elena's might to keep it together. She reached instinctively to grab Damon's hand again, upset with herself for letting this get to her. He turned, drawing her into his embrace tightly. She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed tightly.

She wondered if Damon was right. She wondered if Stefan would have become this way anyways, without all this drama. She was glad Damon was there, but she couldn't get over Stefan's bone chilling attitude. And she was terrified that this was going to end badly.

**What would Damon do? Leave me some love, of course! :)**


	6. The Only Exception

**A/N: First off, this chapter contains a lemon at the end, so you've been warned.**

**From here on out, chapters might be a tiny bit shorter, so that I can update more often, I guess. I've got my other two stories that desperately need chapters written before those readers come at me with a pitchfork. I've been so busy I just haven't had much time to write, and right now I'm sick, so blah.**

**But Chapter 6 is your Christmas present... ENJOY :)**

**MM**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, well except the deviation in story line haha. And I wish I owned Damon Salvatore.. but Ian Somerhalder would do just fine! hehe**

**Oh, and speaking of Ian Somerhalder, for those of you who are fans of him (as well as the character he plays) you should check out his new site.**

**www (dot) isfoundation (dot) com  
**

Chapter 6

The Only Exception

Almost as soon as Stefan and his victim disappeared from sight, Damon turned to Elena, "Let's get out of here."

Elena could not be more relieved. They left calmly, trying to make it seem like all was well, but it was obvious that people had seen the commotion, and they all gawked. As they walked back through the building, some people turned away, whispering to each other. When they neared the door, the Sheriff stepped towards Damon.

"Everything okay Damon?"

Damon smiled convincingly, "Yeah Liz. My brother was just coming to say goodbye is all."

She tilted her head curiously, "Oh. He seemed quite upset." Her eyes wandered to Elena, a silent accusation that it was all her fault. Elena didn't blame the sheriff; because a big part of it _was_ her fault.

"It's fine," Damon said again.

She nodded, "All right then. I'll see you later?"

Damon shook her hand, then led Elena forward through the doors. He gave the valet his ticket and waited as the car was fetched. He looked at Elena, who was staring off into the distance. He leaned in, "It's gonna be okay, Elena."

She could feel the tears brimming at the edges of her eyes. Once again, she felt guilty. One minute she was guilty, the next she wasn't. _Not my fault_, she thought. She chanted the words over and over, but couldn't make herself believe it. No matter what Damon said, it was her fault ultimately that Stefan had drank human blood, her blood, in the first place. Then she wondered, if Damon was telling the truth about the blood bank heist. Had Stefan really been robbing the place for himself while they were together?

The valet pulled the car up, and Damon placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her forward. He opened her door for her and when she had climbed in, he shut it.

He climbed into the driver's side and started driving. Elena noticed almost instantly that it was slower than usual. It was also in the opposite direction of her house.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"My house," he responded.

She winced. It wasn't just his house, it had been Stefan's too. So many memories.

"I want to go home," she stated.

"Trust me Elena. I want to show you some things."

Shifting in her seat she looked out the window. Clouds were coming in now and had left the town looking a little dreary, fitting since her mood had turned from good to sour in little time. They drove in silence the rest of the way, all the while Damon was thinking about how fucked up Stefan had left everything. Surely, Damon deserved it. He deserved to have Elena doubt everything he had been saying. He deserved to not be happy, but that didn't change the fact that he still wanted it; still wanted her. He knew that this wasn't the last they would see of Stefan. He also knew the next time he saw Stefan things were going to be much, much worse.

They pulled into the driveway and Damon parked the car. Elena got out and Damon met her around the front of the car. She reached for his hand even though she was still upset; but she'd made her bed, and it wasn't fair to Damon, who was trying so hard to prove he was worth her affections. However, in that moment, she was the one who felt that SHE didn't deserve his.

One minute, she was opening herself to him, and the next she was closing herself. She knew she couldn't play this game forever. She had said a few days ago that she was ready for this, but that was before she'd seen the pain she was causing Stefan.

Damon stopped her, pulling her to face him; and drawing her face up by the chin to look at him.

"I know seeing him was hard for you, Elena. I want to show you some things. Afterward, I want you to think about things. I don't want to force you into anything. It's not about me; as much as I would truly like it to be."

She nodded slowly, understanding that he was going to give her an out, if she wanted it. They walked toward the house and she followed behind Damon through the front door.

She inhaled deeply, not sure how she was going to feel about being in the house without Stefan. She looked around. Everything looked the same, except for a hole about the size of a large first through the wall near the staircase. Her eyes trailed up the stairs, thinking about how she would never climb up there again with Stefan.

Damon stood there a moment, saying nothing. He wasn't sure what to say. He was going to show and tell her a few things; then he intended to give her a chance to back out. He didn't want her to, but the way she looked now, distraught as she thought about Stefan; he just couldn't take that look every time something about his idiot brother rattled her.

"Come with me," he said, extending his hand to her.

She took it, and followed him as he led her through the kitchen and down into the basement. She saw the big freezer against the back wall and knew what he was doing. He was going to show her the blood.

"I'm not denying to you that I don't drink human blood; obviously I do. However, I've learned to try and sustain on blood bank supply. But I know how to get blood without causing a scene. For one, you don't take a shit load." He opened the freezer.

Elena was surprised to see that the whole freezer was _full_ of blood.

He continued, "This, for me, would last me months. This, is a no-no."

She just stared into the freezer blankly. Her heart was screaming no, that Stefan wouldn't do this; but logically, after seeing him today, she knew that what her head was saying was true. Damon wasn't lying.

Finally, she looked at him, "What are you going to do with it?"

Shutting the lid he scratched his head, "I'm going to drink it, Elena."

Had she expected him to not drink human blood? She wasn't sure.

"I have a bad feeling, Elena. I have a feeling that we haven't seen the last of Stefan. I need to stay strong to protect you, if I need to. You understand that right? It's not fresh blood, but it is still human blood, not like animal blood, which really robs me of the essential nutrients I need to stay strong."

She nodded slowly. She knew he was right. If he wanted to protect her or even himself, he'd have to stay strong. She knew that it was necessary. She cleared her throat, "What else?"

"Have a seat?" he asked, his steely blues piercing into her intently. He motioned to the freezer and she nodded. He lifted her and sat her on top before he continued, "You know how Stefan and I became so estranged; our love for Katherine driving us apart, and then the betrayal that had her locked in the tomb. You've heard that I was once a good man. I wasn't perfect, and I had some of the same irksome qualities I have now, but the jealousy I harbored tore me to shreds."

Elena had heard. She knew the story well; that Damon had been as kind as Stefan, but Katherine had played them against each other.

"I loved her," he continued. "I would've given her everything, except it never would have been enough. And then," he paused a moment, stepping back and clenching his fists, "And then, I find out she wasn't in that tomb; and I was so mad, Elena. I was so angry that she never bothered to tell me that she was alive and well. She let me think she was trapped in there, waiting for me. I did everything to get her back, but the truth was, she never loved me. She played Stefan and I against each other to get what she wanted. Then, she strung me along all those years. After I realized that it was all a lie, it was then, I realized that I never really loved her. Granted, she didn't compel me, but I was so bewitched by her ways, that I never really thought for myself."

Elena blurted, "I'm not Katherine."

"I know," he grabbed her by the hands, "that's what I am trying to tell you Elena. You're not Katherine. You may look like her, but you're far from the treacherous cunt that she was. And when I thought that I might never trust another person again, you proved to me that I could. This was well before our incident, mind you. Ever since I've been back in Mystic Falls, things have been changing, _I_ have been changing. I didn't think I could trust again and you proved me wrong. After losing Katherine all those years ago, I never thought I would heal enough to love again. And then, when I found out she didn't give a shit about me, I really never thought I would love again. But, you're proving me wrong there too. You are the only exception, Elena. You're the one who's making me a better person, after all the years of bitterness and hate and cynicism. I'm not promising you a perfect life. I'm still me. I'm still Damon. There are times where I'm going to be selfish or an asshole or stubborn because even way back when there was definitely that side to me. It just got worse after I turned and I blamed Stefan for my loss. However, I am promising to give it my best shot. But I'm giving you the opportunity, right now, to walk away. I can't take another loss like I suffered before. I'm pretty sure there would be no coming back from that one."

Elena sat there for a moment, thinking. Had Stefan not shown up like he had, her heart wouldn't be so conflicted. But she reminded herself that he wasn't the same Stefan now. Something in him had changed; something dark had been released when he had drank her blood. She knew it wasn't because he was inherently evil; but because he had denied himself for so long, that the taste of human blood was like heroin to him, and he was fully an addict. Stefan hadn't taken the time to learn to control the hunger like Damon, therefore, it had completely consumed him. Now, he was as dark as Damon had been when he had first arrived in Mystic falls; maybe darker.

Damon stood quietly in front of her as she was thinking. He could see in her crinkled brow that she was weighing the options. He was thankful for it to a degree. Part of him wanted her to be so sure that she didn't have to think about it, but then again, he knew if she didn't and she changed her mind later, he would be devastated. He didn't want that. It was better to let her think it out on her own, so that she knew what she was getting into.

Her thoughts continued. With Damon, it was true, she knew what she was getting. Yeah, he could be volatile when thoroughly roused, but he was predictable in many ways. Stefan had become so unpredictable, it was frightening.

She clasped her hands tightly together and slid off the freezer, stepping toward him and drew her eyes up to meet Damon's, "I have a few things I need to say."

Damon gave a slow nod as he waited for her to continue.

Taking a deep breath, she started, "I don't know how this will go. Seeing him today was hard; harder than I had imagined it would be. However, he caught us by surprise, so maybe that was why I was so taken aback by it, and of course, _what_ he was obviously doing. This is hard for me, because I didn't like the idea of Stefan drinking human blood, but you've done it since before I met you. And, I agree, if Stefan does return, you'll need your strength. It's not going to be easy."

"I know," he said quietly.

"But I told myself that I wanted to see how this would go. There's something there. Here," she said, placing her hand over her heart, "that lifts when you talk to me, flutters when you kiss me, and aches when you're away from me. Giving that up would be more painful than trying. You, Damon Salvatore, have opened something in me even more than he did." She held out a hand to him, an invitation.

A smile crept upon his lips, but it wasn't boastful or conceited, it was genuine. Taking her hand, he stepped in closer to her. His other hand moved to cradle her face as his eyes bore into hers. Her breath caught in her throat as his intensity caught her by surprise.

Leaning in, his lips brushed hers, causing a heat to burst through her, and he whispered softly against her mouth, "The only exception." He kissed her then, his lips falling tenderly on hers. It caught Elena by surprise, her breath hitching in her throat.

Damon was restraining himself with all his might, but as usual the moment his skin came in contact with hers, his whole being ignited.

When she stumbled, he knew she was feeling the same. He wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her and used his other to free her hair, then dug his hand into her soft curls.

Her hands gripped his jacket as she pulled him in. Thoughts swirled in her mind about what was right and what was best. She knew Damon might not be the best choice, but Stefan wasn't necessarily the best choice either. No vampire could be considered the best choice for a human. But she knew, given the choice of having Damon in her life or out of it, she knew it was the right choice. She kissed him back fiercely, almost as if she needed him just to breathe.

She could lie to herself all she wanted but the truth was, when he touched her, she felt like every part of her was alive, like every nerve ending in her body was supercharged. She wanted him, just as much as he wanted her. Right then and there, she accepted that Stefan was gone, he was not the same, and Damon was what she wanted.

Her head swirled and her whole body tingled as the kiss deepened. His tenderness was driving her crazy. The first time they had sex it was all passion; powerful, fast, and mind-blowing. She still felt the passion, like a volcano ready to erupt right beneath the surface, but the pace was achingly slow and making her body scream in agonizing desire.

She pulled her mouth from his, begging breathlessly, "Take me."

A wicked smile fell upon his lips, "All in due time."

She protested with a huff that turned quickly into a moan as his lips then found her neck. He kissed up until he was at the soft spot just behind her ear right beneath the lobe and he slowly licked it with his tongue.

"Damn you, Damon Salvatore," she gasped. He knew what she said, but it was between gasps that she said it. Her knees began to buckle then, and his grip on her tightened.

Taking his hand out of her hair, he tugged the zipper to her dress, bringing it down completely while walking her a few feet backwards until her ass touched the freezer behind her.

Elena had once again lost the words that she had intended to speak, but she didn't really care anymore either. She let him guide her back until she felt the freezer behind her. She reached up with an unsteady hand and pulled the strap of her dress off so that the dress now hung at her breasts by her free arm.

"Mmm," he said as his mouth trailed lower, now at her collar bone. He could hear her blood pulsing through her jugular, and it was like music to his ears. With her steadied against the freezer, he put his hands near the top of her dress, "Allow me." She moved her hand and her dress dropped to the floor.

When she stepped out of it, he picked it up off the floor and tossed it to the side, but off of the ground at least. He then scooped her up and set her on the freezer.

It was cold on the backs of her thighs and ass but she didn't care, instead, she went for what she thought she deserved, starting at his coat. She grabbed the collar and drew him into her and placed a fiery kiss on his lips.

He was losing it, the scent of her blood pumping through her veins, the heat of her arousal radiating through her core. He didn't understand how Stefan had ever been able to control himself.

She released his coat and her hands went south, unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. She slid a hand inside finding the length of him, hard and waiting and began to stroke it. He moaned into her mouth as one of his hands slid between her thighs, rubbing her through her panties. What he had intended to be a little bit slower, was quickly turning into a fast paced session. He ached through every pore, just wanting to throw her back and thrust into her, but he refrained.

He pushed her panties aside, grazing his fingertips gently over her soft folds and in response, she gripped him tighter, pulling him closer, her eyes rolling into the back of her head.

What she thought she had with Stefan, sexually, was nothing compared to what she was experiencing with Damon. She could probably climax with him touching her, just like this, and it was maddening.

Again, he caught her lips with his at the same moment he dipped a finger into her. She fought to not squeeze his manhood off, but instead tightened her grip on his pants with the other hand.

He moaned into her, the grip she had on both his pants and raging thickness only serving to turn him on even more. She began to stroke him again, her pace matching with his so that they were both moving together, both pleasuring each other. He slipped another finger in, then with his thumb, found the hardened nub of nerves and began to rub it at the same pace.

Her climax built in her quickly and she broke away from the kiss, head falling back as she cried out, so loudly that it echoed off the walls of the mansion.

"Oh fuck, Damon! Don't stop, right there! Yes, yes, yes, oh fuck, yes!"

He felt her walls contracting around his fingers as he continued to coax her with his fingers. Her hands were now both holding onto his pants tightly, as if she were going to take off at any moment and that was the only way to keep her grounded. He tilted his head into her neck, biting and kissing it gently, increasing the pleasure.

She moaned louder as she came again, this time the words failing her. He continued pleasuring her until her orgasm subsided and she relaxed, laying back on the freezer, still gasping to catch her breath. She draped an arm over her head, closing her eyes, trying to catch her breath so that maybe her head would stop swimming. She felt his hand withdrawal from her, and she whimpered at the loss.

A moment later, she felt his mouth brush against her thigh and a jolt shot through her as she looked up, "What on earth are you...? Oh god," she said as his tongue grazed over her hot center.

Damon chuckled, "I'm not done with you yet."

She moaned as his tongue trailed through her fold, "Can't. Take. Any. More."

She felt him move away, and then suddenly, she found herself in his arms, being carried out of the basement, "Where are we going?"

"Well to my bed, of course," he said, grinning. "Like I said; I'm not done with you yet, my dear, sweet, Elena."

She chuckled, her arms wound tightly around his neck. She kissed his neck gently, her hands driving upwards into his hair. As they exited the basement into the kitchen, she heard a _woosh _ and a breeze brushed by her, and then she realized they were in Damon's room. Vampire travel was still weird to her. Stefan had rarely used it to move her from place to place.

Damon placed her on the bed gently, then began removing his coat and tie. Elena, exhausted as she was, could not help but eye him hungrily as he undressed. His eyes met with hers and he held her in a gaze as his hands moved to the buttons of his dress shirt. His trademark smirk formed on his lips as he pulled the shirt from his body and laid it over the chair, his upper body now exposed. Chiseled, sexy, she could stare at it forever.

She involuntarily licked her lips as he slid his pants from his body and laid them over the chair as well, the only clothing left being socks and boxers. Elena was not quite sure when he had lost his shoes, but she figured it did not matter.

His boxers were black but she could still see how excited he was for her. He strolled over to her and the way his muscles rippled when he moved reminded her of a tiger, stalking its prey.

He slivered down next to her laying on his side. She rolled to hers, facing him. She leaned in, pressing her lips against his, then wrapping her arms around his neck. He wasted no time in rolling her to her back and laying himself on top of her. Using his knee he nudged her thighs apart, pressing himself against her panties.

She whimpered into his mouth, her nether regions aching for him again. Then again, she couldn't really think of a time in the last week, when she wasn't aching for him, even when she was fighting the truth.  
He reached between her thighs and with one hand ripped her panties from her body.

"I'll buy you new ones, I promise." He moved then, reaching behind her back and unclasping her bra, removing it as well. He tipped his head down and licked around both of her perky nipples.

When his teeth grazed them, her hips bucked against him and she dug her fists into his hair. She whispered desperately, "Please Damon, please, don't make me wait anymore."

He leaned up onto his knees and with lightning speed removed his boxers. He then descended upon her, but slowly, pressing himself against her entrance.

She moaned, her hips lifting in anticipation.

"So impatient," he tsked. With that he lowered herself onto her slowly, inching his way inside of her.  
Elena moaned and her thighs quivered with overwhelming pleasure.

Damon moaned too, the anticipation for him being worth it. He kissed her then, a slow and sensual kiss. He was amazed at his control, amazed that he was able to be so gentle still, and not just ravage her.

Hell, he was beginning to think this might just be better. He felt so connected to Elena, like he was part of her.  
He withdrew and then slid into her again, and then again, each thrust slow and easy.

He pulled back, looking at her beneath him, flawless, exquisite, and all his.

Elena was thrusting her hips back in rhythm with his, her moans and gasps growing with each thrust. He could feel his release growing and he knew it wouldn't be long for her either.

"Damon," she gasped.

He loved it when she said his name.

He pressed his forehead against hers, "Elena."

She placed her hands on his face, "I'm gonna..."

Before she could finish her sentence she came, her moans again shaking the walls.

He released almost instantly as well, a complete and total release with her that was so euphoric for him, he fought the urge to laugh with contentedness.

The continued to rock into each other, holding each other closing as they rode the waves of ecstasy until they were both spent.

She had lost count of how many times she had climaxed in that one moment but it was enough for her to see stars.

As they both relaxed against each other, he kissed her neck and then her lips, not wanting to let her go. She has chosen him, the other brother, and he was lucky.

She scratched her hands in his hair lazily, as her breathing regulated. He didn't want to move, but he slid off her and laid next to her, wrapping her up into his arms, tightly.

She fell asleep almost instantly, comforted by him around her, feeling safe. He followed shortly, exhausted from the day's activities, and for the first time in a very long time, he actually looked forward to tomorrow.

**It's Christmas... leave me some love! :)**


	7. All That Matters

**A/N: I know it has been a while since I've updated. 12 weeks of student teaching had me super busy. This chapter is short.. kind of a filler. There's more excitement to come! Hope you enjoy :)**

Chapter 7

All That Matters

"Soon brother," Stefan challenged, his eyes narrowing at Damon as he backed away.

Elena cowered behind Damon as if she had been his all along. As he walked away from the festivities, everyone stared, gawked really. They may not have heard the fight, but they sure as hell had seen it.

The girl attached to his arm, Bethany, or something like that, whimpered as they reached the parking lot. "Oww, you're hurting me Stefan."

_Stupid bitch_, he thought. He gripped her tighter as he turned her to face him, his eyes drilling into hers, dilating as he compelled her, "Shut. The. Fuck. Up."

She did.

They walked through the rows of cars until they found his. He opened the door and got in while she climbed in the passenger seat. He had stopped by the house and packed some things. He had taken his clothes, and his photo of Katherine, but beyond that, nothing else had any value. This town certainly held nothing for him anymore.

For a brief moment he thought it might be wise to release Bethany here; compel her to forget and then just leave. However, he just was not in the mood for such niceties today. Stefan was tired of being the nice guy. It had not gotten him anywhere.

He sped away, the tires spinning and screeching momentarily on the gravel as he hit the main road to leave town.

_Goodbye Mystic Falls_, he thought as he pressed the pedal down, his speed increasing as each second passed. Bethany just stared out the window, mind-fucked into submission, completely oblivious. She soon fell asleep, undoubtedly suffering from lack of blood.

The miles passed, as did the hours, but the distance did not ease the hate and anger that raged inside of him. By the time he pulled into Atlanta it was late, and he was hungry, very hungry. He pulled down a dark alley way and drove until he found a vacant parking lot and pulled in.

Bethany began to stir, rubbing her eyes, her skin so pale she almost resembled a vampire, translucent in the moonlight. She spoke, her voice weak, "Where are we Stefan?"

"Doesn't matter," he mumbled, unbuckling his seat belt. He reached over and unbuckled hers as well. He smiled as he pulled her close, pressing his lips right below her ear. He could hear her blood pulsing, though it was faint. He chuckled, "You won't be alive long enough to enjoy it." She jerked at his response, but it wasn't quick enough; it never would be quick enough. His teeth sprung out and his powerful jaw clamped down onto her jugular, silencing and paralyzing her as he drank, and drank, until she went limp in his arms; dead.

He leaned over, opened the passenger side door, and pushed her body out onto the cold pavement before he drove away, leaving her to be found by some innocent bystander.

He got back on the highway, not minding the speed limit as he sped further south, leaving everything behind; including all memories of his former life in Mystic Falls, Virginia.

Sometime the next day, Elena stirred from what could only be described as the best sleep she had experienced in a while. Rolling over, she realized she was alone in the bed. As if on cue, Damon waltzed into the room, holding a tray in his arms.

Her eyes widened at the sight; a tray adorning a full meal for her, made by Damon. The only thing that made the moment better was his apron that stated, "Kiss the Cook, Don't _Steak_ him."

She covered her mouth with her hand and giggled as she propped her pillows up, leaned into them, and pulled the covers up around her. Before they had fallen asleep, Elena had found a plain slate grey t-shirt of his in his dresser, along with a pair of boxers to fall asleep in. Damon found this unbearably sexy.

He placed the tray over her lap, "Omelette, complete with fresh squeezed orange juice and side of strawberries."

Elena couldn't help but be surprised. This Damon was.. well, he was amazing. She'd fallen for the tough, bad-ass Damon. It was the badassness that had led her to cheat in the first place. The raw power of him was undeniable. But this side was tender and sweet; nurturing. It was almost surreal.

She must have been looking at him funny because he spoke, "Just because my meal preference is O+ doesn't mean I can't cook a mean omelette."

Elena threw her hands up in mock surrender, "I'm not complaining."

Apparently, this was "happy" Damon. This was probably how he was before Katherine corrupted him. He deserved to be happy like this, she thought to herself.

She took a bite of the omelette, the flavors immediately engulfing her taste buds, "Mm. This is delicious."

He smirked, "Glad you enjoy it. I figured you would need to eat."

She had to agree. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten; maybe yesterday morning? She couldn't remember.

"So, Sherriff Forbes called. It seems that girl Stefan was with has been reported missing from Virginia Beach. They are questioning his whereabouts. I have to meet with her and a Virginia Beach representative today."

"Do you think he took her?" Elena's stomach knotted at the thought of Stefan forcing the girl to go with him. She knew that the chances were high.

Damon just shrugged, "Maybe. Apparently she was a troubled girl. They assume she left willingly. She was certainly compelled when we saw her yesterday. Don't worry. I'll get it all straightened out."

That twinge of guilt surfaced in her again, but she squashed it quickly. The more reckless Stefan became, the angrier Elena became. One day, she hoped he would see what a stupid asshat he was being.

_When I'm dead, _she thought, _ he'll wish he had been nicer._

That thought conjured a different emotion she hadn't expected; sorrow. She and Stefan had never discussed a future together. Really, she had never thought about it. But the sudden thought of being without Damon left emptiness in the pit of her stomach. Eventually, she would grow old and die. Eventually, he would leave and she would be alone.

The sound of Damon's voice interrupted her internal pity party, "Are you okay? Look, if you're worried about the shit Stefan has stirred, don't be. I'll take care of it."

She nodded, deciding not to voice the current dilemma in her head. She made a note of it, that if things continued to get serious, then she would bring it up; but until then, she kept quiet.

A small chuckle escaped him, "You know, all the times Stefan cleaned up after my messes, I really understand why he couldn't stand me."

Elena's mouth turned into a wicked smirk, something that caught him off guard. "Well, you really were a number one douchebag when you first came back to Mystic Falls."

He leaned in, kissing her cheek, "Yeah well, maybe I still am."

She knew he was. She knew part of him would probably always be guarded and sarcastic. He'd told her so, and she believed it. Living for as long as he had, probably came with some sort of permanent damage. She hoped that maybe, over time, he would change. However, she wasn't sure how long she should hold out for that. As long as he treated her with respect and others when she was present, she could deal.

"I have to go talk to the Sherriff. Stay comfortable," he said as he proceeded to move from the bed.

"I should probably get home, Damon. I'm sure Jenna is pissed. I didn't call her last night."

He gave one nod, "All right then. I can drop you on the way to town. The Sherriff won't mind if I'm a few minutes late. She happens to think very highly of me," he said with a conceited chuckle.

"That's only because she doesn't know _what_ you are," she responded, taking another bite of her omelette.

"Yeah. You're right. But I've done a lot for this town, both good and bad."

Wasn't that the truth.

"Did you bring a change of clothes?"

"No," she said. A moment of pause passed before she continued, "I had a spare or two of clothes in Stefan's room. I don't know if they're still there though."

"I'll go check. We'll have to get you a spare set in here," he grinned as he slipped from the room.

Elena continued to eat. Finishing off her omelette and orange juice, but unable to eat any of the strawberries.

He returned a moment later carrying a pile of clothes, "Retrieved m'lady." He bowed slightly and set them on the edge of the bed. "I'll leave you to get dressed. If I stay in here, well, we will most certainly be distracted." He kissed her on the forehead and left Elena to get dressed.

After she had dressed and gathered her belongings they got into Damon's car and headed back towards town. Elena knew that she was probably in trouble with Jenna. Her phone was dead, meaning if anyone had tried to contact, they would have been unsuccessful.

Damon dropped her off a little before lunch time, kissing her tenderly before driving away. She was really on cloud 9, feeling all kinds of warm and fuzzies; that is, until she reached the front door. She had not had the chance to even reach the handle before the door flung open in Elena's face to reveal both Jenna and her Uncle John, standing there, looking not so pleased.

Jenna spoke first. The sound of her voice was rigid and she looked like smoke was going to tumble out of her ears at any second, "Do you have any idea how worried we've been?"

"Where were you?" John asked.

She cleared her throat. She didn't want a fight, but she was going to have to stand up for herself and she knew it. "I was with Damon. You knew I left with him, right?" She did feel guilty for not calling, but after the stressful day, she had grown careless.

"What were we supposed to think? First, there was that public argument with Stefan? Yeah Elena, everyone saw it. Then you and Damon left in a hurry. I figured you were okay, but you should have called. Dammit Elena! You're being careless. I need you to be mature. Jeremy is finally shaping up and now you're going all rebel on me!"

"I'm sorry Aunt Jenna. I fell asleep. Then, my phone died." She could feel herself caving. However, she didn't want to indulge much more with John around. "It's been a rough couple of weeks. I've made decisions that have changed so much for me. I'm not trying to disappoint you." Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

Jenna sighed and John just looked at her.

"Get inside," she said, moving aside.

Elena slid past them and headed straight upstairs. Passing Jeremy's room, she heard him talking on the phone, probably with the new girl he was seeing, Anna. She went into her room, plugging in her phone and turning it on. After a few minutes, it began to receive incoming messages.

One from Caroline: Are you okay? You left in a hurry.

Two from Jenna: Where are you? and Call me please.

Then Bonnie: Can we talk please?

And finally from Damon: Sorry if I got you into trouble. }:)

She laughed at his little devil smiley and then responded to his first: It's okay. She is pretty upset, but I think I avoided a lifetime of grounding.

Then she responded to Bonnie's: What's there to talk about? You told me my choices.

Finally, she responded to Caroline's. She didn't want to, but she knew she wouldn't let up if she did: Yes, I'm fine.

Bonnie responded a few minutes later: I just want to talk okay? Please.

Elena wrote back: Lunch at The Grill? An hour?

Bonnie: Meet you there.

By the time Elena showered, it was time to head to The Grill. She talked it over briefly with Jenna, letting her know that she was going to lunch then coming straight home to work on her history paper. Jenna seemed hesitant, but let her go, saying it was Elena's "last chance".

When she arrived at The Grill, Bonnie was already seated and waiting. Elena made her way over and sat across from her. She made note of how remorseful Bonnie truly looked.

She started talking almost as soon as Elena sat down, "Look Elena. I'm not happy about yesterday. I.. I've missed you. You're my best friend! It's not fair for me to expect you to choose. I just think you're being careless. I mean, first Stefan, now Damon? I mean, at least with Stefan I could kind of understand. But Damon? After all the chaos he's caused? Vicki?" She stopped when she noticed that Elena was not looking too pleased about where this conversation was going.

Elena was about to defend herself but then Bonnie interrupted, "Wait. That's not my choice, Elena. You've never been one to make stupid, reckless choices without thinking. So, I have to think that you chose Damon for a reason. I mean, you're wearing a vervain necklace, so obviously, you're not compelled."

Elena nodded.

"What I'm getting at is, I don't want to put that ultimatum on you. Truthfully, I loathe the fact that you're with Damon, even more than I did that you were with Stefan. I was okay with Stefan, until Grams died. But really, I've just been looking for someone to blame when there is not really anyone. We wanted to help you. Grams thought that helping Stefan was important, so we did it. However, I can't throw years of friendship away over that, because it wasn't your fault. It was our choice. I just couldn't live with myself if something happened to you tomorrow and I wasn't around to let you know how much you mean to me."

Elena wasn't sure whether to take her words offensively or not. If something happened to her? What did she mean?

"I don't mean something supernatural, though in this town, it seems to be the biggest culprit of accidents. There's that saying that you should never let the sun settle on an argument. You don't want to regret the things you say to people. Which is exactly what I am saying, you're my best friend and very much like a sister. I'll work around Damon, if he's what you want. I'll even be civil, even if he refuses to be. Though, I would like to avoid him as much as possible."

She was silent for a moment, her face searching Elena's.

Elena drew in a deep breath, and then started her response, "You've always been like a sister to me, Bonnie. I accept your apology. I'm not going to defend Damon's worthiness to you. He's different than when he first came here, but he's by no means perfect. I know this, and I've come to accept it. What I have with him is very different than what I had with Stefan, and even Matt."

"And you're always wearing your necklace, right?"

"Yes, of course. All of my decisions have been my own, even if they seem rash and insane."

She sighed, "Well, I certainly hope you're right about Damon."

Elena didn't respond to that, instead she quickly changed the subject, "Have you started your History paper yet?"

"Ugh, not at all. I plan on working on it after I leave here," she said, signaling the waiter.

"Same here. I'm not sure what I'm going to write about."

"I've decided to write about some of the political side of the 1960s. I know it's a fairly easy topic, but I figure it's an easy bet," Bonnie said.

They ordered some lunch and ate, discussing their papers more in length. It was as if things were back to normal, as long as they weren't discussing the subject of Damon.

Not long after they finished eating, Elena felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out to reveal a message from Damon: Hey. I am done talking to the Sherriff. Everything okay?

She responded: Yes, just finishing lunch with Bonnie at The Grill.

Damon: Okay love, text me when you're done!

Her heart went a flutter at that. She was such a sap.

Bonnie's brow raised, "You're.. blushing!"

"What? No, I'm not!"

Bonnie laughed. _Laughed, _about this. She laughed at the fact she was blushing over Damon.

"I don't want to really talk about it, but damn Elena. I haven't seen you blush in a very long time. Maybe someday I will be able to talk to you about Damon. It just won't be today. I will say that I am glad that you are happy. You seem happy, Elena."

She smiled softly, sliding her phone back into her pocket, "I am."

"I suppose that is all that matters then," she responded.

Elena knew that it really was all that mattered.

**~~ Leave me some love :) ~~**


	8. Beatleology

**::hides:: Please don't kill me for being so late... I've had little to no inspiration lately.. I have also moved cross country from Virginia to Nevada. My grandmother passed away last week.. it's been crazy! But here's a new chapter. I hope you will leave me some love! :) Take care!**

Chapter 8

Beatle-ology

Damon wasn't the type to get nervous, but today he was. He found himself nearly thankful for all the times Stefan had covered his ass throughout all the messes he had made. If the sheriff even became slightly convinced that Stefan might be a vampire, it would lead straight back to him. Obviously, the outcome of that would be catastrophic.

He stepped into the station, not surprised to find it empty, being a Sunday. The front desk cop smiled as he approached, letting her eyes wander just a little too much, "Afternoon, Mr. Salvatore. Care for a coffee? Sheriff's just finishing up on a call." She batted her eyes flirtatiously.

"No thanks," he replied, shaking his head. He sat down in a chair to wait. He pulled out his phone and sent Elena a text, then proceeded to look at the picture of her he had put on his phone. He was wicked, having snapped a photo of her sleeping early this morning when he woke up. She would probably object to this, but he found it beautiful; goddess- like even.

"Damon," the sheriff's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

He stood, putting on his "good guy" act like always, a nod in her direction, "Sheriff."

She gestured him towards her office. He moved in, taking a seat across from her desk. She moved around her side of the desk, "The Virginia Beach representative is running late. I don't want to waste your day, so we'll get right down to it. If he needs any more information though, you may need to come back in."

Damon nodded, "Of course. Anything I can do to help."

"As of right now, Bethany's disappearance is being considered a runaway case, rather than a kidnapping, given her troubled history. I suppose what is most surprising is Stefan's sudden change in behavior. Do you know if he was on drugs?"

The nice thing about this conversation, Damon suddenly realized, was that his lies were only half lies. Blood was Stefan's drug, much like crack to a hooker. "I think he was," Damon said with a nod. "He started getting moody, stressed out, mood swings. After Elena left him, it only got worse."

"So Elena left him because she suspected him of using drugs?"

Damon nodded, noting that she was almost insinuating that Elena leaving Stefan had everything to do with Damon himself; which in all reality was a huge part of it.

"Do you know where he is headed? What was said yesterday?"

"He said he was leaving town, but he didn't mention where or when he would be back."

"And you haven't heard anything from him since?"

"I haven't. Knowing my brother, he will be back, but there really is no telling when." _It could be decades or even centuries if Stefan manages to stay alive that long…_

The sheriff sighed, "Well, as of right now he's not being charged with any thing. Troubled teens go missing every day. Unless you have reason to suspect that either of them is in trouble, minus the drugs obviously, then I'm afraid we can't do anything. Her parents have filed a missing persons, which will be placed all over the US I'm sure, but still, the girl is 18, so legally, there's nothing that can be done to force her to come home."

Damon nodded, "Well, if I hear anything…"

"Thanks."

He quickly moved to the next subject, lowering his voice, "Have we heard anything about the theft of the blood bank?"

"Still nothing. It seems whoever did it is laying low." She sighed, "You know, blood bank theft sure as hell beats the dead bodies, I will admit that."

"Certainly," Damon said. Not too long ago he had been part of those dead bodies piling up in Mystic Falls. Thankfully, no one had caught onto him, with the exception of John Gilbert. Thus far, he had stayed out of his way after he unsuccessfully tried to kill him. It was also apparent that John had kept Damon's secret safe, for now.

"Well, I will call you if I need any more information Damon. Thank you."

"No problem sheriff."

Damon saw himself out of the police station and into his car. He headed home, deciding it was time for a drink. The blood bank blood sufficed, but it was not the same. It had been barely over a month since he had drank fresh blood but he was really feeling like a junkie, wishing he could savor the sweet taste of blood that was still pulsing through someone's veins. His hands gripped the steering wheel, knuckles whitening.

_For Elena, _he thought. _Don't fuck this up, Damon._

He made it home, parking his car and heading straight inside. He poured himself a glass of blood from the freezer and then headed into the den to relax for a few. He pulled out his phone and shot Elena another text about what she was doing.

She responded, saying she was at The Grill with Bonnie, the witch.

He had no desire to be around her at the time being. He'd heard the conversation she'd had with Elena yesterday. The ultimatum: it was either him or her. Elena picked him, though now he wondered why she was having lunch with Bonnie.

He let her know to text or call when she was done and then let himself relax, thinking a nap might be in order. No sooner than he had started dozing off, the doorbell rang. Irritated, he got up and headed towards the door.

Swinging it open, he was hardly shocked to see John Gilbert standing there. He was however, slightly concerned about the crossbow that was aimed at his heart.

"Afternoon John," Damon said, holding his hands up in defense, "No need to be twitchy. I thought we sorted out this little problem we had."

John chuckled, "Far from it. We've got a serious problem on our hands. Seems to me as though you've taken a severe liking to Elena, and I'm here to tell you that you're going to back off."

"And if I don't?" Damon challenged.

John cocked his head matter of factly, eyeing the crossbow, "What do you think, Damon?"

"I think," Damon said slowly, "That you're making a huge mistake."

John rolled his eyes, which was enough time for Damon to make his move. In one swift movement Damon launched forward, gripping the crossbow, tilting it into the air just as it went off, the wooden arrow bouncing from the wall and falling to the ground.

In a matter of seconds, Damon was behind John, crossbow in one hand, other arm snaked tightly around John's neck. "See, told you."

John didn't bother struggling, knowing it would ultimately end badly if he did. Damon tossed the crossbow and then grabbed John's hand, gripping the ring that had saved him last time.

That's when John panicked. "Listen, I'm just trying to protect my niece is all."

"I have no intention of hurting her," Damon hissed into his ear. "I've done nothing but protect Elena."

"You're a vampire, Damon. You're a monster, and eventually you will hurt her, no matter how hard you try."

"Says who? I've had many relationships over the years where I never hurt anyone." Okay, so that was hardly the truth, but he knew that he would never hurt Elena.

"I just want the best for her. She deserves that."

Damon couldn't agree more, "And who's to say right now I'm not the best for her."

"Because of what you are. That could never be the best for Elena." John waited a moment before continuing, "Can you let me go please? I'm done trying to kill you."

Damon waited a moment before releasing him, holding his ring still in his hand as a threat.

"A vampire and a human can't be together Damon, you have to know this. Eventually, things will change; she'll grow old and you'll stay looking the same. That's why you'll never be the best for her."

"Well," Damon said, a sarcastic jeer crossed his face, "I don't really much care what you think John. Right now, it works. I care about her, whether you believe it or not. Plus, I think you've got bigger problems to worry about than me. Like Stefan, for instance."

"Yes, well, he will be dealt with accordingly if he returns."

Damon fought back the urge to rip John's head from his body, "He is my brother. Though he may be acting like a rebellious teenager, no harm will come to him by your hands. If anyone is going to take him down, it will be me."

John shrugged, "Well, right now he's gone. Therefore, my number one concern is you. I will be watching your every move, Damon. One toe out of line and I will tell Sheriff Forbes and this entire town what you really are."

Damon smirked, but said nothing. His badass way of saying he understood. As John stepped out to the porch Damon said, "By the way John, next time you show up at my door with a fucking crossbow, I will rip off that ring and tear your throat out."

John chuckled, "Next time, I'll just shoot your heart right out of your chest before you can do that."

"Guess we'll see."

"I suppose so."

Elena tried to write her History paper but the words just wouldn't flow. She had decided on writing about how the music of the 60's influenced the culture, in particular, The Beatles. Still, the words just weren't coming together.

Truthfully, all she could think about was Damon. Stefan had never invaded her mind like this. Yes, she thought about him and she missed him when they were together, but it was nothing like this. It was distracting.

She had called him after the grill, saying that she needed to finish this paper and that Jenna and John were beyond pissed with her.

"Well, if you need any help I totally lived through the 60's you know. I even met The Beatles once," he had said.

"I really should write this on my own," she had responded.

They spoke for a few more minutes, and then she had let him go. And now she was here; an empty document open with just her name, date, and class name. The blinking cursor was taunting her. _Blink blink blink blink._

She caved, picking up her phone and dialing Damon's number. He picked up on the first ring, "Change your mind?"

She chuckled, "Yeah, I need the expertise of Damon Salvatore."

"Good choice. I'll be there shortly. Window?"

"Yeah, but we have to be careful. Jenna might nail my window shut if she finds out you're sneaking in through it."

He laughed but it wasn't coming through the phone, it was coming through the window. "I'm sure I could open a window that was nailed shut."

"Not the point," she replied with a smile as she stood, moving to greet him.

He kissed her softly, cradling her face in his hands, "Missed you."

Elena almost wanted to give up on her paper entirely, and spend the night doing everything _but _homework. She refrained. There would be time for things like _that_ later.

"So let's see what you've got so far," Damon said, heading over to her computer. He peeked at her heading and chuckled, "Well, certainly looks like you've been working hard."

Elena rolled her eyes, "I couldn't concentrate."

"Well, it's a good thing I'm an expert on Beatle-ology. "

They sat for the next two hours, discussing everything Damon knew about The Beatles. She used his knowledge combined with her sources to write her paper. When she put the final touches on it and submitted it via email, she sighed in relief.

Damon massaged her shoulders, "Now that wasn't too bad was it?"

"Thanks for your help," she responded, yawning. "I didn't think I would ever get that done."

"Glad I could be of service." He looked at his watch, "I guess I should let you get some rest. Don't want your Aunt Jenna taking you away from me." He winked.

She smiled softly and stood from her chair. "Stay just a little longer? Until I fall asleep?"

He pulled her into a hug, and then moved her with him to the bed. He crawled in and slid over and she joined him, her back pressed to his chest, his arms wrapped around her tight. She sighed softly, feeling safe and content in his embrace.

It wasn't long before she had fallen asleep, her breathing deep and easy. He released her slowly, pulling the covers around her before turning out her lamp and sneaking back out the window, closing it tightly and then heading off into the night.


End file.
